Living In troubled times
God’s answers to Solomon
God speaks to Solomon in these verses of the lifestyles,faith and healing of the land saying
◦ if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
It speaks in these passages
When David Solomon’s father’s death was nearing David said to his Son
1 Kings 2:1-4 The Message (MSG)
2 1-4 When David’s time to die approached, he charged his son Solomon, saying, “I’m about to go the way of all the earth, but you—be strong; show what you’re made of! Do what God tells you. Walk in the paths he shows you: Follow the life-map absolutely, keep an eye out for the signposts, his course for life set out in the revelation to Moses; then you’ll get on well in whatever you do and wherever you go.
Saying I am about to die but I want you to carry on and be strong. Be proud of who you are show the world what you are made of! Do all that God commands you. Follow in his lead. Keep eye out for the signs and visions his course for the life journey shall set out. For when you follow in these steps I tell you son then you shall prosper and succeed in whatever you and wherever you go in your life.
2 chronicles then says
2 Chronicles 7 New Living Translation (NLT)
The Lord’s Response to Solomon
11 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. 12 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. 13 At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. 14 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. 15 My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. 16 For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.
17 “As for you, if you faithfully follow me as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations, 18 then I will establish the throne of your dynasty. For I made this covenant with your father, David, when I said, ‘One of your descendants will always rule over Israel.’
Solomon went about his life and it became his desire to build God’s house before his own. It took Solomon thirteen years before his house was finished, he also built God’s temple 6 At the end of twenty years, Solomon had quite a list of accomplishments. He had:
built The Temple of God and his own palace;
rebuilt the cities that Hiram had given him and colonized them with Israelites. He continued to do what God spoke to him and was successful in all he did. 2 Chronicles 7 says
2 Chronicles 7 New Living Translation (NLT)
The Lord’s Response to Solomon
11 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. 12 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. 13 At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. 14 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. 15 My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. 16 For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.
17 “As for you, if you faithfully follow me as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations, 18 then I will establish the throne of your dynasty. For I made this covenant with your father, David, when I said, ‘One of your descendants will always rule over Israel.’
God spoke to Solomon in verse 12-17 saying
12 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. 13 At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. 14 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. 15 My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. 16 For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.
17 “As for you, if you faithfully follow me as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations, 18 then I will establish the throne of your dynasty. For I made this covenant with your father, David, when I said, ‘One of your descendants will always rule over Israel.’
2 Chronicles 7:14-18 The Message (MSG)
12-18 God appeared to Solomon that very night and said, “I accept your prayer; yes, I have chosen this place as a temple for sacrifice, a house of worship. If I ever shut off the supply of rain from the skies or order the locusts to eat the crops or send a plague on my people, and my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, praying, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I’ll be there ready for you: I’ll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health. From now on I’m alert day and night to the prayers offered at this place. Believe me, I’ve chosen and sanctified this Temple that you have built: My Name is stamped on it forever; my eyes are on it and my heart in it always. As for you, if you live in my presence as your father David lived, pure in heart and action, living the life I’ve set out for you, attentively obedient to my guidance and judgments, then I’ll back your kingly rule over Israel—make it a sure thing on a sure foundation. The same covenant guarantee I gave to David your father I’m giving to you, namely, ‘You can count on always having a descendant on Israel’s throne.’
As he heard Solomon’s prayer God says in 2 chronicles 14-16
2 Chronicles 7 New Living Translation (NLT)
14 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. 15 My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. 16 For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.
For God was angry saying if people come humbly to me and state their prayer requests, look for me while they are silent, and turn from their ungodly sinful desires and lifestyles I God will hear them from heaven, I will forgive them of all their sins and will heal the land of theirs. I am always observing and watching you and what you do and where you travel, I listen in depth to your words of need and what you pray in this holy temple. For I have chosen to be holy it is a place where people will stand in honor and respect of me forever. I will continue to watch over it always for it is special and adored in my heart. So we return back to verse 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Saying if my followers whom I have chosen as most faithful called by my name shall humble themselves in three steps
Pray
Seek my guidance
Turn away from sin
Then I will hear and forgive them their sin and will restore the land. Speaking of the things he spoke to us in 1 kings and 2 chronicles
The Prayer of Dedication
“If there is a famine in the land or a plague or crop disease or attacks of locusts or caterpillars, or if your people’s enemies are in the land besieging their towns—whatever disaster or disease there is—
37 “If there is a famine in the land or a plague or crop disease or attacks of locusts or caterpillars, or if your people’s enemies are in the land besieging their towns—whatever disaster or disease there is— 38 and if your people Israel pray about their troubles, raising their hands toward this Temple, 39 then hear from heaven where you live, and forgive. Give your people what their actions deserve, for you alone know each human heart. 40 Then they will fear you as long as they live in the land you gave to our ancestors.
“If there is a famine in the land or a plague or crop disease or attacks of locusts or caterpillars, or if your people’s enemies are in the land besieging their towns—whatever disaster or disease there is—
26 “If the skies are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and if they pray toward this Temple and acknowledge your name and turn from their sins because you have punished them, 27 then hear from heaven and forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them to follow the right path, and send rain on your land that you have given to your people as their special possession.
28 “If there is a famine in the land or a plague or crop disease or attacks of locusts or caterpillars, or if your people’s enemies are in the land besieging their towns—whatever disaster or disease there is— 29 and if your people Israel pray about their troubles or sorrow, raising their hands toward this Temple, 30 then hear from heaven where you live, and forgive. Give your people what their actions deserve, for you alone know each human heart. 31 Then they will fear you and walk in your ways as long as they live in the land you gave to our ancestors.
In Solomon’s prayer of dedication he gives exact example of that which causes God’s anger, peoples living ungodly lifestyles and pushing him away ignoring his commands he goes on to ask that if the people changed the way of the lifestyles would he remove the sick land of all the locusts, disease and plagues and make it healthy again.
All of these scriptures are speaking about trusting God’s words he has told us and being faithful in godly ways spending more time with him and hearing his commands in prayer then he will listen and remove the ill land in their faithfulness and restoring its health.
These things we are reading are exact example of the life we are in right now, with the government removing God from the schools and work place and people remaining in their sinful lifestyles and desires forgetting all about God showing him that he doesn’t matter in their lives and he has brought the land to being sick from one end of the world to the other in plagues and disease so now is time where you should spend more time in His word and more time in prayer like David and Solomon express. For only faith and showing God he IS part in our lives will he not be angered anymore and will heal and revive the land be faithful in prayer and think before you act for what would be honoring and impressing to God so that he will be proud and heal and restore the land. We are going to continue living troubled times if we as spiritual believers continue to follow the earthly law and lifestyles instead of God’s law and a godly lifestyle as he told us by his word to do. Only then will he look down on us and change his troubles and tribulations that we live in. Things may seem scary now however they will only get worse. I know how hard it is not to have fear through this but remind yourself that in so many stories God tells us not to fear and that he is with us and we shall be safe. This troubled life should be looked at in praise,glory and hope. For it is a reminder of hope that Jesus second return will arrive soon, it is Glory that several of mankind who still lives in sinful ways may soon realize their lifestyles and change while others have strayed from God pushing him away and will lean strong back on their faith again, and praise for these are happenings in which Jesus spoke about of God’s rule that would have to take place before Jesus second return to earth. However it is also praise because that means we are coming so much closer to being with Christ and gaining our merit of eternal life with him as he promised. Yet we need to realize these things and see that all this is good and turn the fears to prayers and ask for God’s peace and guidance through the fear which entangles is by Satan. I’ll be honest yes I speak all this knowledge about all these scriptures I write on with you but I admit fear is one of my falters also it is hard especially when it’s new territories and unknown travel and unknown land. But remember the best calm for fear is faith over fear with lots of fervent and intimate prayer and giving God your time again.
Living In These Troubled Times
1 Chronicles 4:9-10 New Living Translation (NLT)
There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.
Living Water Ministries 