Text and notes from the Life Application Study Bible, New Living Translation, Tyndale 1996
So Solomon finished the Temple of the LORD, as well as the royal palace. He completed everything he had planned to do in the construction of the Temple and the palace. Then one night the LORD appeared to Solomon and said, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices…”
- 2 Chronicles 7:11,12
Months, maybe years, had passed since Solomon’s prayer of dedication (chapter 6). Several other building projects had been completed after the Temple (7:11, 8:1). Then after all this time, God told Solomon that he had heard Solomon’s prayer. How often do we look for immediate answers to our prayers and, when nothing happens, wonder if God has heard us? God does hear and he will provide for us. We must trust that God will answer at the proper time.
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Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.
- 2 Chronicles 7:14
In chapter 6, Solomon asked God to make provisions for the people when they sinned. God answered with four conditions for forgiveness:
1. Humble yourself by admitting your sins,
2. Pray to God, asking for forgiveness,
3. Seek God continually, and
4. Turn from sinful behavior.
True repentance is more than talk – it is changed behavior. Whether we sin individually, as a group, or as a nation, following these steps will lead to forgiveness. God will answer our earnest prayers.
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Solomon did not deviate in any way from David’s commands concerning the priests and Levites and the treasuries.
- 2 Chronicles 8:15
Although Solomon carefully followed God’s instructions for building the Temple and offering sacrifices (8:13), he paid no attention to what God said about marrying pagan women. His sin in marrying a foreign wife (8:11) began his slide away from God. No matter how good or spiritual we are in most areas of life, one unsurrendered area can begin a downfall. Guard carefully every area of your life, especially your relationships. Don’t give sin any foothold.
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But Rehoboam spoke harshly to them, for he rejected the advice of the older counselors and followed the counsel of his younger advisers. He told the people, “My father laid[a] heavy burdens on you, but I’m going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!”
- 2 Chronicles 10:13, 14
Rehoboam must have gotten an unbalanced picture of leadership from his father, Solomon. Apparently Rehoboam saw only the difficulty of leading the nation, not the opportunities. He mentioned only the harsher aspects of Solomon’s rule, and he himself decided to be very harsh toward the people. As you discuss your responsibilities with your children, be sure that you temper words of complaint with words of joy. Otherwise you may sour their attitudes toward the work you do and those you serve.
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I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.
- Romans 7:15
This is more than the cry of one desperate man; it describes the experience of all Christians struggling to against sin or trying to please God by keeping rules and laws without the Spirit’s help. We must never underestimate the power of sin and attempt to fight it in our own strength. Satan is a crafty tempter, and we have an amazing ability to make excuses. Instead of trying to overcome sin with our own human willpower, we must take hold of God’s provision for victory over sin; the Holy Spirit, who lives within us and gives us power. And when we fall, he lovingly reaches out to help us up.
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The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. - Romans 8:3
Jesus gave himself as a sacrifice for our sins. In Old Testament times, animal sacrifices were continually offered at the Temple. The sacrifices showed the Israelites the seriousness of sin: Blood had to be shed before sins could be pardoned (see Leviticus 17:11). But the blood of the animals could not really remove sins (Hebrews 10:4). The sacrifices could only point to Jesus’ sacrifice, which paid the penalty for all sins.
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And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
- Romans 8:17
There is a price for being identified with Jesus. Along the great treasures, Paul mentions the suffering that Christians must face. What kinds of suffering are we to endure? For first century believers, there was economic and social persecution, and some even faced death. We, too, must pay a price for following Jesus. In many parts of the today’s world, Christians face pressures just as severe as those faced by Christ’s first followers. Even in countries where Christianity is tolerated or encouraged, Christians must not become complacent. To live as Jesus did – serving others, giving up one’s rights, resisting pressures to conform to the world – always exacts a price. Nothing we suffer, however, can compare to the great price that Jesus paid to save us.
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For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
- Romans 8:19-22
Christians see the world as it is – physically decaying and spiritually infected with sin. But Christians do not need to be pessimistic, because they have hope for future glory. They look forward to the new heaven and new earth that God has promised, and they wait for God’s new order that will free the world of sin, sickness, and evil. In the meantime, Christians go with Christ into the world where they heal people’s bodies and souls and fight the evil effects of sin in the world.
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We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)
- Romans 8:24-25
It is natural for children to trust their parents, even though parents sometimes fail to keep their promises. Our heavenly Father, however, never makes promises he won’t keep. Nevertheless, his plan may take more time than we expect. Rather than acting like impatient children as we wait for God’s will to unfold, we need to have confidence in God’s perfect timing and wisdom.
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God’s way is perfect.
All the LORD’s promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
- Psalm 18:30
Some people think that belief in God is a crutch for weak people who cannot make it on their own. God is indeed a shield to protect us when we are too weak to face certain trials by ourselves, but he does not want us to remain weak. He strengthens, protects, and guides us in order to send us back into an evil world to fight for him. And then he continues to work with us because the strongest person on earth is infinitely weaker than God and needs his help. David was not a coward; he was a mighty warrior who, even with all his armies and weapons, knew that only God could ultimately protect and save him.
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God arms me with strength,
and he makes my way perfect.
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
- Psalm 18:32-34
God promises to give us strength to meet challenges, but he doesn’t promise to eliminate them. If he gave us no rough roads to walk, no mountains to climb, and no battles to fight, we would not grow. He does not leave us alone with our challenges, however. Instead, he stands beside us, teaches us, and strengthens us to face them.
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Lazy people take food in their hand but don’t even lift it to their mouth.
If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded will learn a lesson;if you correct the wise, they will be all the wiser.
Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother are an embarrassment and a public disgrace.
- Proverbs 19:24-26
There is a great difference between the person who learns from criticism and the person who refuses to accept correction. How we respond to criticism determines whether or not we grow in wisdom. The next time someone criticizes you, listen carefully to all that is said. You might learn something.
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