Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him. (Psalms 49:16-17 ESV) We can get hung up on the gross injustices around us. After all, it is just not fair that some […]
Read More Psalm 49 – The Perspective that MattersThe way Wisdom describes herself in Proverbs 8 continues to be one of the strongest and most attractive arguments for loving wisdom I have come across. Just hearing her declare what she has, what she does and how much she benefits anyone who seeks her, makes it maddening that we ignore her. After a period […]
Read More Fruit of Wisdom (The Fruit Series 17)I am not sure where it comes from. It would not surprise me if things like the Protestant Ethic were highly influential in its promotion. What I am referring to is the way that people believe things get better if you work harder. By work harder, the expression usually involves appearing to apply more pressure […]
Read More An Approach to ImprovingThe tragedy of the disobedience of Solomon is compounded by the manner in which the nation responds to his successor on the throne. As a delegation approaches the new King, they present a request for fairer working conditions. King Rehoboam got great advice from those who were around with Solomon and so had some understanding […]
Read More The Kings 12 – Following Bad AdvicePraise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord ’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness.” (1 Kings 10:9 NIV) Before choosing to spend money to watch a film at the cinema […]
Read More The Kings 10 – Reports and EncountersKing Solomon sent to Tyre and brought Huram, whose mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali and whose father was from Tyre and a skilled craftsman in bronze. Huram was filled with wisdom, with understanding and with knowledge to do all kinds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and did all […]
Read More The Kings 07 – Just The Man For The JobI intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God, as the Lord told my father David, when he said, ‘Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.’ (1 Kings 5:5 NIV) The wisdom of God given to Solomon […]
Read More The Kings 05: With a Little Help from Dad’s FriendWhen all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice. (1 Kings 3:28 NIV) 1 Kings 3 is a fairly familiar chapter because of the two episodes that dominate it. The first is Solomon’s divine encounter in […]
Read More The Kings 03 – A Man’s Most Important ResourceI was thinking recently that it must have been a pastor who thought that Paul’s letter to Titus was a pastoral letter. Reading chapter two, in as much as I can see the pastoral element and instruction, this heart of the letter which can also be seen in the building up in the previous chapter, […]
Read More Specialist Subject – Thinking Out LoudRecently my wife and I were reminded of the importance of key qualities God gives us in being His children. One of those qualities is having the patience and wisdom to understand someone before exercising wisdom in addressing the person appropriately. We were enjoying a good barbecue at the home of a friend. Whilst there […]
Read More Taking Time to Understand
