September 14, Reading 1 – 1 Kings 7

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

In books or magazine articles today, the emphasis of this chapter would be reversed, with more space devoted to Solomon’s palaces than on a religious site like a national church building. God’s people are to remember in all of life’s avenues the aweful reality of the Living God!

SJA Notes

* Lord God, we sing a new song to You, for You have done marvelous things! Your right hand and Your holy arm have worked Your salvation.

“And Solomon left the vessels unweighed, because there were so many of them; …”

How about Hiram, what a worker he was!

He and those working under him made such a vast number of bronze objects that they stopped counting them. Objects that were, in large part, for the temple – God’s house.

In Ecclesiastes 9:10 we read,

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might,”

And in Colossians 3:23 Pauls says,

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,”

This is the crux for us. Working for the Lord.

Hiram worked for the Lord. Look at the results!

A building that is like no other, probably throughout history.

The Lord puts us all in various places and situations, for the building of His kingdom, for His glory.

And so when we work, when we work for the Lord, we are part of the building into eternity – A work that has value and meaning, even when it doesn’t seem much!

* Gracious Heavenly Father,

You call us to work with everything we have. Please help us to do this.

Please give us strength to go about the tasks You have set for us each day.

Please give us the courage to go about Your work, even at the cost of pride, even when we might be laughed at.

Please help us to remember that we are working for You, in whatever our hands find to do.

Amen.

September 14, Reading 2 – Jeremiah 14

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

This chapter portrays the results of worthless religion. There was no hope for the people of Judah in outward conformity to Biblical worship but inward lawless desires and lifestyles. There was no atonement in the Law that would allow them to escape the calamity they deserved. Jeremiah’s hope was in the LORD that in mercy He would remember His covenant. God’s answer was to send His Son!

SJA Notes

* Mighty God, please open our hearts to hear Your word today.

“Do not spurn us, for your name’s sake; do not dishonor your glorious throne; remember and do not break your covenant with us.”

As with much of God’s word, this can be a hard passage to process through.

God is very angry. His wrath burns.

Toward His people, for their false religion, their hypocrisy (fake worship, hearts far from Him). And toward the church leaders, for their lies, worthless divinations (bad shepherds, seeking self before all else).

Jeremiah does not wilt in the face of God’s anger, although it must have been incredibly difficult to hear these words from the Lord of Hosts, the Creator God.

Instead, Jeremiah throws himself (and prays for the people) on the mercy of God.

Notice, Jeremiah calls of God regarding His covenant.

“… And do not break your covenant with us.”

God is not a megalomaniac, a broken human dictator.

He is the God who is at once JUST and ANGRY AT SIN, alongside being GRACIOUS and MERCIFUL.

God remembered His covenant. God brought honor to His glorious throne. God upheld His Name.

All through sending Himself. God in the Person of the Son. Our King Jesus.

Hallelujah, what a God we have!

* Gracious and Merciful Father,

Thank You for giving to us what we do not deserve. Forgiveness for our sin. Your Spirit abiding in us, in the _now_. New life, and life to the full in the _not yet_.

Thank You for _not_ giving to us what we very much do deserve. Just punishment for our sin. Your presence removed. Death and everlasting destruction.

Thank You Lord!

Amen.

September 14, Reading 3 – Ephesians 6:10-24

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

It is good to meditate on relationship between the armour image and the truth each part portrays. Read Isaiah 59:15-17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:8,9. Isaiah places this armour on Christ! Have you ever thought of the Christian’s armour as Christ’s armour? Do you realise how privileged you are?

SJA Notes

* Faithful God, thank You for speaking to us today through Your word.

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, …”

One very comforting thing from today’s passage, in our daily spiritual battle with evil, is that the whole armor of God is very much wrapped in what we read throughout the rest of scripture.

We have truth. Righteousness. Readiness to tell people about Jesus. Faith. Salvation. God’s Word itself. Prayer.

These are not far-out crazy-alien ideas. This is not a magical suit of armor, a wish-fulfilment rub-the-lamp element.

These realities are grounded in God’s plan. In His steadfast love and faithfulness, His working all things for our good, His defeating death at Calvary.

We come back to Jesus. God’s word become flesh. Our salvation. The author and perfecter of our faith. The Good Shepherd who preached to crowds of thousands and to individuals. The only righteous one. He always spoke truth, the truth.

This is our God and Saviour, our Lord and King.

The whole armor He gives us is rooted in Him. This is a good thing!

* Father God,

Thank You that You have allowed for us this armor, to put it on, these truths that You have shown us throughout Your word.

Please help us point to Jesus.

Please help us be more like Jesus.

Please help us Lord God, because what else can we do but cry out to You as our Saviour.

Merciful God, thank You for Jesus!

Amen.