I Kings 3:9-10, “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?  And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.”

My wife has been a preschool for several years of our marriage.  She works with four year old children.  I personally would be in prison for murder.  She shared with me one day after a field trip about her children.  She had gone on a field trip that day to the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis.  She had the pleasure of meeting the sitting Governor of Indiana, Mitch Daniels.  Her children were so star struck that they could not even shake his hand or talk to him.  My wife proceeded to tell Governor Daniels that her children were too afraid to   speak to him.  He then turned to her class and spoke to each one and shook their hands.  “My Man Mitch”.

In our Scripture today God had asked King Solomon for his request.  Solomon wisely asked for wisdom and understanding to lead God’s great people.  I am afraid were it you or I that we would not be so wise.  Do you have need of something (notice I said need and not want)?  Ask Him.

So, how are you doing?

II Samuel 24:24, “And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.”

I love my wife!  She sometimes has different ideas about gifts than I have.  She goes for quantity and I go for quality.  I would rather have one gift for $180 than 90 gifts for $2 each.  I am going straight to the dog house for this blog post I will assure you.

There are far too many people who say that they are Christians; but, their lives really speak differently.  I have heard of several people over my thirty-five years of salvation who in order to get a notch on their gospel gun belt tell people that if you get saved all your trouble will go away.  Ha!  If it were remotely so.

When you and I set out to follow Christ as a true disciple it will cost us tremendously.  Far too many people do not count the cost; but, jump in head first and then drown in the unknown.  This is sad and it should not be so.

If we are going to serve Jesus it will cost us greatly.  Remember it cost Jesus Christ His life to redeem us from sin.  So, is there really too high a cost to serve Him?  Think about it.

So, how are you doing?

I Kings 22:34, “And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.”

When I was growing up on my Aunt and Uncle’s farm I tended to play outside a lot (that is foreign today).  I had a BB gun and sling shot to entertain me.  I remember playing in the barn, garage, tool shed and the woods.

I remember one time in my life I had a compound bow.  I was going to practice until I became a great deer hunter, I thought.  I had so much fun with that.  I stacked up hay to hold targets for practice.  My dreams never came true.  I do remember one time I aimed my bow up in the air and just one arrow fly pretty well straight up in the air.. I began to walk across the field to find the arrow.  It went all the way across the field and was about three feet inside our property line.  Whew!

God is a much better shot than I.  Here was a king trying to hide amidst the battle and yet God in His providence saw that he received exactly what he deserved.

How about you dear friend?  Do you find yourself running from God?  Rest assured He will find you no matter where you run.  There is a distinct possibility He will use someone or something else to bring about chastisement in your life.  Think about it.

So, how are you doing?

I Kings 18:21, “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.”

When I was growing up the television show “Family Feud” hosted by Richard Dawson (of “Hogan’s Hero’s” fame) was the host.  I remember watching it a lot.  It was fun to watch and the whole family got a great deal of enjoyment out of it.

I remember when it was time to steal from the opposing family there was always a lot of intense conversation.  Most everyone had their own opinion of what to answer.  After much discussion the moderator for the family would make a declaration of their answer.

Those families had to make a decision as to what the group wanted to answer.  It is no different today.  We as members of the body of Christ have to make up our minds as to how we are going to answer a lost and dying world.  Don’t be like the Israelites and answer “not a word.”

So, how are you doing?

I Samuel 23:16, “And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.”

I just finished reading an e-mail from a friend that was told as true.  The story was about a missionary that had been protected from being murdered by a group of men wanting his money and medical supplies.

The man to be attacked was a doctor and traveled two days each way to get medical supplies and usually had money on him for the purchase.  While on such a trip the doctor treated a man injured in a fight.  Some time later the injured man met the doctor and explained that he and some friends had planned on killing him and taking his money and medication.  He told the doctor that he and his friends followed him to his midway campsite and were going to enact their plan; but, they were afraid of the twenty-six guards protecting his tent.

The doctor told them there were no such guards.  The missionary told the account in a Church service and a man stood up and asked exactly when this took place.  It was realized that at the same time at night the men were going to attack the doctor/missionary that a man in the Church was prompted to pray for him and he called some other men to pray too.  There were twenty-six prayer warriors that prayed for the doctor/missionary.

The reason I retell this story is because I and my family desperately need your prayers.  If God prompts you to pray for me or us please do it.  Our lives might depend upon it.

So, how are you doing?

I Kings 13:18, “He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.”

Yesterday we talked about getting counsel.  Today let’s look at the other side of the coin.  We must be careful when we give counsel too.  As men will stand in pulpits all over the world today and proclaim God’s Word we must compare their words with Scripture and make sure they are telling the truth.  Unfortunately there are wolves in sheep’s clothing within the ranks of so-called Christianity.

If you are following a man and his teaching does not line up with Scripture you should find another source for Scriptural teaching.  It is plain and simple.

This month we remember the tragedy of the Titanic.  What a horrible disaster and loss of life.  Over 1500 people perished because one man; who built the ship, touted that “Not even God can sink this ship.”  He perished with those other victims.  Some men (so-called) jumped into lifeboats at the last second while leaving women and children on the sinking ship.  Their lives and careers were destroyed by their selfish acts.

The lesson here today is simple.  Make sure your counsel lines up with God and His Word.

So, how are you doing?

I Kings 12:6, 8; “And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?”  “But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:”

I received a phone call earlier today from a friend.  I have been trying to help his son get a job to support his growing family.  The job I told him about would be a good wage and I think the hours would be good for a family man.

Today’s phone call was troubling to me.  The personnel department at the company will not return my friend’s phone calls.  He called me for advice and or help.  I did the best I could and then told him to show up Monday morning with an attitude that says, “I am here to work.”  We will see.  He has been praying about what to do and I know he will do as Christ leads him.

There have been far too many times in my life that I have done as king Rehoboam and not taken counsel when I definitely should have.  Friend, don’t forsake the counsel of older, godly Christians or Pastors, etc…  You and I would do well to get into God’s Word and see what His counsel is and follow it.

So, how are you doing?

Judges 3:9, “And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.”

Over the years as a 911 dispatcher I took my fair share of calls that you just wish someone else had answered.  I remember one elderly lady called to tell me there was a monkey in the tree in her front yard.  It turned out to only be a leaf.

Then there were the cat stuck in a tree.  Ugh!  The owner was always distraught and their world was coming to an end immediately if I did not dispatch the entire fire department to their immediate aid.  These dear souls were in dire need of someone to help them.  They needed a saviour or deliverer.

You and I find ourselves in much the same place.  Oh, we are not stuck up in a tree; but, we definitely need a Saviour or Deliverer.  He came born as a baby and lived a sinless life and at the age of 33 was brutally murdered in your and my place.  Our Saviour or Deliverer is named Jesus

Have you allowed our Deliverer, our Saviour to rescue you from sin and it’s penalty?  If not I would urge you to do that before it is eternally too late.

So, how are you doing?

Judges 1:21, “And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.”

When I was in Junior High School I had the privilege of being the manager for the football team.  We had a great year that year!  We lost only 1 game.  We were awesome.  I identify myself with them, yet I never stepped out on the field during any game as a player.  Oh, I have a jersey (yes I still have it and it is far too small); but, I was never in the game so to speak.

When we would practice I can still hear those coaches yelling at the players as they would hit us managers in the big pads we held.  They would yell, “Drive! Drive! Drive!”.  What were they saying.this for?  They wanted those players to hit the pads and keep driving forward until the whistle to blow.

In our passage the tribe of Benjamin did not “Drive! Drive! Drive!”  They failed to drive out the Jebusites and these people plagued Israel.  It is the same for you and I.  There is things in our lives that we need to quit ignoring and drive it out of our lives far away.  What is it for you Christian?  What is a Jebusite in your life?  Maybe it is not something that is huge; but, it is a small thing. Maybe it is an issue of good, better or best.

So, how are you doing?

Joshua 13:33, “But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance: the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said unto them.”

At the writing of this blog I know of a family that is very dear to us that is going through the tedious task of sifting through the earthly belongings of a loved one that has preceded them to Heaven.  This is not an easy task I will promise you.  I know you, my readers know the joy, sorrow and pain of this very thing.

The one thing that makes this bearable is when our loved ones are in heaven.  A life lived obviously Christian is such a comfort to those left behind.  After burying a relative that had no testimony I know that pain all too well.

When we trust Christ as our Saviour we gain an incorruptable inheritance.  As I am writing today I want to challenge you to live a life that tells others around you that your inheritance is in Heaven.  Quit living like your inheritance is here on earth.

So, how are you doing?