2 Chron. 10 [The Message]

When young King Rehoboam took the reins from his father Solomon, Jeroboam and all the rest of Israel wondered if he would be as demanding upon them as his father was. They wondered if the tax burden would continue to be high. Rehoboam consulted with his (should I say it? Liberal) young peers who all encouraged him to INCREASE the tax burden. They advised, “Tell the people that your little finger is thicker than your father’s waist. ‘My father thrashed you with whips, but I’ll beat you with bloody chains.'” This was NOT the message they wanted to hear, so Jeroboam and all the remaining tribes pulled out to form their own government.

In essence, Rehoboam had rejected the wise counsel given him by his father’s counselors … “If you will be a servant to this people, be considerate of their needs and respond with compassion, work things out with them, they’ll end up doing anything for you.” We have here a notable contrast in leadership styles.

Christ Jesus gives us the eternally BEST leadership style ever. He said, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” [Matt. 11:28-30, The Message]

2 Chron. 8, 9 [The Message]

Solomon reigned for 40 years and had more wealth and power than any other autocratic ruler. Whatever he said was law. Whatever he wanted, he got. His was an amazing kingdom. The sky was the limit on his power and impact.

It’s scary when one person has that much power and influence. Everyone under them must suffer their whims and excesses. No thanks for me.

HOWEVER, there IS a coming King and Ruler that will be the consummate leader and autocrat; KING JESUS. All prior kings of the world will pale in quality and power to HIM. Solomon, as great, wise, and influential as he was will have been a feeble attempt at the model rule. Handel said it well when he wrote, “The kingdom of this world IS BECOME the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever. Christ Jesus is a King we can trust!

2 Chron. 7 ‘[The Message]

To complete a task an important part of life. Many are good starters, but how many strong finishers are there? King Solomon was a FINISHER. He completed the Temple for God’s glory and was rewarded with God’s Spirit like a cloud filling the inside of the building. God’s reward came AFTER its completion.

The Apostle Paul had some instructions on completion: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” [1 Cor. 9:24] “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” [2 Tim. 4:7]

Christ Himself set the example for us. He said, “I have glorified thee (the Father) on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” [Jn. 17:4] Again, He said, “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,  saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ ” [Luke 14:28-30]

Parents can teach and develop the ability to complete tasks when they raise their children. (By the way, a task isn’t completed until the mess is cleaned up when it’s done.)

2 Chron. 6 [The Message]

In Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the new Temple, he was mindful to ask God to hear the prayers of His People from Heaven. Solomon identified many of the challenges faced in life and asked God to work in the behalf of the people.

If there’s one thing I can recommend to those close to me, it’s that they learn to pray and do it often. Learning to and practicing prayer is a lifetime journey. Often it’s the ONLY thing we can do, and it’s the BEST thing we can do.

Pray in Jesus’ Name and BELIEVE.

2 Chron. 4, 5 [The Message]

Most would agree that gold is our most prized and valuable metal. It was EVERYWHERE in the Holy of Holies in Solomon’s Temple. Even the nails used were pure gold and weighed a pound apiece. There could not have been a more valuable room and furnishings. The Holy of Holies was the closest you could get to God in that day.

Gold speaks of purity and value. Whereas we don’t have rooms similar in our churches today, we figuratively put the greatest value on a close, worshipful experience with the Lord. Heat purifies and refines gold. We must experience God’s refinement process to have that close access to Him. [Matt. 5:8]

Find yourself in the fire? Hold on. Further refinement means a closer walk with Jesus.

2 Chron. 2, 3 [The Message]

No expense was spared by King Solomon as he built a house for God. Endless quantities of gold, silver, brass, valuable cedar wood etc. were all amassed and assembled by the finest craftsmen available. Nothing was too good for God.

It’s still true, but the excellence God really wants is in our lives … our motives, our thoughts, our deeds, our moral conviction. Since WE are His Temple, our daily existence is the work of art He is painting. We are His masterpiece. We will live forever.

 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs. [Ps. 69:30,31]

2 Chron. 1 [The Message]

My son-in-law took my place as the Head of Trinity Christian School. My prayer every day is, “God, give him wisdom to rule.” Wisdom has been defined as “Insight into the true nature of things.” His authority covers 160+ staff members, 1600+ students, and hundreds of families who send their children to Trinity Christian School.

Solomon asked for wisdom and God said, “Because you asked for wisdom, I will give you everything else as a bonus.”

Leaders make decisions that affect the lives of so many. It’s critical that they have God’s wisdom and insights on matters needing their attention.

We also should pray and ask God for wisdom for our elected officials. Whether they heed God or not, we should do our part and pray. It’s just about the only thing we can do and it’s the BEST thing we can do.

1 Chron. 29 [The Message]

As he described the process of accumulating the building materials for the new Temple, David expressed his gratitude to his subjects for their generosity in giving to the project. He made a profound statement when he said, “We are merely returning some to the One Who first gave to us.” When we put our wealth in perspective, what do we have that we didn’t first receive. As freely as we have received, we should give. There’s great joy in giving!

Happy Easter to everyone! Christ is the first-fruits of resurrection life. Because HE LIVIES, we too can LIVE.

1 Chron. 29. [The Message]

Our church meets in a gym. I recently spoke to a misguided man who felt that a nice sanctuary would please the Lord more. I had the chance to tell him that WE are the tabernacle of God. It’s not a bricks and mortar structure that he’s concerned about. The great cathedrals of Europe sit empty and are merely tributes to architecture, form, and their designer or the religious group that uses them.

1 Chron. 27, 28 [The Message]

It’s clear when reading these chapters that David was well organized. He was a master at delegating and had leaders in charge of every portion of the Kingdom. Military, administrative, custodial etc. He was the CEO of a large operation.

We think of David as a musician, warrior, praise-leader, but he was much more. He was inspired to design his own house AND the new house for God. He transferred the plans to Solomon to complete. He was quite accomplished in all parts of his life.

God had equipped him to become king. He had the tools necessary to become the most beloved leader until the coming of Christ.

Our lives are opportunities for us to apply the skills God has given us to serve and make a living. A big question that needs to be answered is.”What did God EQUIP me to do?” rather than, “What do I WANT to do?!” I have found that people are most happy and rewarded when they are using their God-given gifts as a vocation.