SOLOMON IN ALL HIS GLORY (Luke 12:27)
Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 9-10
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
The Timna Valley is located in southern Israel in the southwestern Arabah, approximately 30 km north of the Gulf of Aqaba and the port city of Eilat, where Solomon built his fleet of ships for international trade. The area is rich in copper ore, and has been actively mined for at least 3,000 years, from the time of Solomon onward. These great rocks are known as Solomon’s Pillars.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: 1 Kings 9: 6 & 7a
But if you or your sons at all turn from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them; and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I have sinned and come short of Your Glory. Forgive me for my disobedience. I humbly ask for more grace to obey You more fully than ever. In and through the One who always obeyed fully, my Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
When I visit Solomon’s Pillars (pictured above), my imagination is fired up with the thought of those early miners and the open smelters which were refining copper and other metals. When I visit Solomon’s chariot city of Megiddo, I can almost see the great stables full of huge war horses (pictured below).
Yours for obedience in doing all God has purposed, now and throughout eternity,
David
P.S. Below are pictures of Elat (“Elath” in our reading -1 Kings 9:26) and a model of Solomon’s chariot city of Megiddo.
Standing in Elat, Israel, looking across the Red Sea (the Gulf of Aqaba). Just beyond the hotel, which is in Israeli territory, you can see the mountains of Moab in Jordan.
Model of ancient Megiddo.
The Gardener by Annie Johnson Flint, 1866-1932
While we are tending our earthly gardens,
The Gardener lends us His seeds to sow,
The bulbs of His lilies, the roots of His roses,
To plant and cherish and watch them grow.
Sometimes He comes when the day is over
And garners a sheaf of the full-grown wheat,
Ripe for the harvest and waiting the sickle,
Ready to fall at the Reaper’s feet.
And sometimes He comes in the early morning
And tenderly gathers the sweetest flowers,
The buds of the lily, the rose half-openend:
Shall we not joy when He chooses ours?
Shall we not yield God our loveliest blossoms,
Glad that He finds them so fragrant and fair,
Worthy transplanting to heavenly gardens,
To gain new beauty beneath His care?
Never a storm shall sweep over His flowers,
Nor drought shall wither, nor frost shall blight;
About His feet they shall grow unfading,
And bloom forever in His pure sight.
How beautiful is that poem Beverlee K. Thanks so much for sharing. Imagine being born in 1866!! Blessings.
Yes,that is very beautiful.My poems are so simple,as a child’s.I am not a fan of poetry but still I wish I could write like this…but I do not envy in a negative sense.Thanks,Beverlee for this lovely message.
Thanks Beverlee for sharing this inspired poem!
Charles Spurgeon Devotional, May 1st
“His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers.”
Song of Solomon 5:13
“Lo, the flowery month is come! March winds and April showers have done their work, and the earth is all bedecked with beauty. Come my soul, put on thine holiday attire and go forth to gather garlands of heavenly thoughts. Thou knowest whither to betake thyself, for to thee “the beds of spices” are well known, and thou hast so often smelt the perfume of “the sweet flowers,” that thou wilt go at once to thy well-beloved and find all loveliness, all joy in him. That cheek once so rudely smitten with a rod, oft bedewed with tears of sympathy and then defiled with spittle–that cheek as it smiles with mercy is as fragrant aromatic to my heart. Thou didst not hide thy face from shame and spitting, O Lord Jesus, and therefore I will find my dearest delight in praising thee. Those cheeks were furrowed by the plough of grief, and crimsoned with red lines of blood from thy thorn-crowned temples; such marks of love unbounded cannot but charm my soul far more than “pillars of perfume.” If I may not see the whole of his face I would behold his cheeks, for the least glimpse of him is exceedingly refreshing to my spiritual sense and yields a variety of delights. In Jesus I find not only fragrance, but a bed of spices; not one flower, but all manner of sweet flowers. He is to me my rose and my lily, my heartsease and my cluster of camphire. When he is with me it is May all the year round, and my soul goes forth to wash her happy face in the morning-dew of his grace, and to solace herself with the singing of the birds of his promises. Precious Lord Jesus, let me in very deed know the blessedness which dwells in abiding, unbroken fellowship with thee. I am a poor worthless one, whose cheek thou hast deigned to kiss! O let me kiss thee in return with the kisses of my lips.”
beautiful, thanks Beverlee for sharing!
Yes, our Lord Jesus is all that and the month of May ushers in new hope and promise. Thank you Beverlee for your posting and for your faithful posting Ron and fellow bloggers. Another sunny and windy day!
Thank you Beverlee both the poem and devotional are lovely.
I am longing for the warmer weather, today is very dark cold and windy here. BUT I have Jesus to brighten up my day Amen.
Edward is doing better now going for therapy and just using crutches. Today is his 83th birthday. Blessings to all Eleanor M.:
Happy Birthday Edward! God’s blessings on you and the birthday cake I am sure Eleanor has made you! Blessings to all saints, today. Cold, dark and windy, here, too.
Thank you Beverlee for from Edward and I. Had son Alan , wife and boys over llast night for supper.I made a cake plus cherry ????????
Well I just had a feeling you did something just like that, Eleanor! Lovely your family was there! ヅ❤♫
Happy Birthday Edward God Bless You and Your family.
Hi Eleanor
HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDWARD!
so thankful that Edward is doing much better and is going for therapy.
we should celebrate together Edward, mine is on the 6th, I pray the Lord will continue to bless you and give you abundant health and wealth and abundant happiness……
Blessings to you.
Cheesecake I meantt
need prayers please…..had a neighbour move in,thought he was a Christian; spoke “God bless you” HOWEVER something happened today and I have the funny feeling that this new neighbour is somewhat of a bully…
I don’t know what to do; I just ask for prayers, prayers that this man named Jim will be kind and caring. that the attitude I saw earlier is gone…..
I ask the Lord to bring me the right person for the back room; need to pay down debts OR I pray the Lord would grant me a financial windfall of $500,000.00,then I can clear up debts;help family; and then begin to talk with a real estate gal and maybe move uptown…..I don’t need a place that needs upkeeping all the time; I don’t need unpleasant neighbors; Lord PLEASE HELP ME! amen