He Acts

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

HE ACTS

1 Kings 8:31-40

31 "When a man wrongs his neighbor and is required to take an oath and he comes and swears the oath before your altar in this temple, 32 then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty and bringing down on his own head what he has done. Declare the innocent not guilty, and so establish his innocence. 33 "When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and confess your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, 34 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their fathers. 35 "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, 36 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance. 37 "When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, 38 and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel — each one aware of the afflictions of his own heart, and spreading out his hands toward this temple— 39 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of all men), 40 so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our fathers.

NIV

Solomon prays about four areas of life that could happen to Israel. These four are: being in the wrong, being defeated, being in a dry place, and hunger or being hurt. Solomon is praying about things that could happen to Israel and to their land, and all those situations of life can be resolved by turning to the LORD, confessing His name, and listening to Him as He instructs them in the right way to live. Solomon also acknowledges the LORD knows each man’s heart, and asks the LORD to forgive and act, dealing with each man according to all he does. This is where our story fits together with Solomon's prayer. There are times when we do wrong; it is just the way we are, imperfect, unable to keep ourselves from sin.  There are times when we could feel as though we have been defeated by various situations in life, whether in our health, our inability to fix the aches or pains, or some infirmity. There can be times when we may go through a spiritual dryness and hunger to hear from God, and it seems He is silent. Yet, God is always there to listen to our prayers, as He knows our hearts. The joy to know that God is listening and is always ready to forgive us, heal us, bless us, and feed us, both physically and spiritually. Indeed, we also know what is in our hearts, and what afflicts us, our weaknesses, so we lift our hands and our hearts, or spirits toward the Lord, seeking His face, His dwelling place, that His will be done in us as it is in heaven. He listens and acts. He deals with each of us according to what we have done. However, that is not about each of our sins, and how grievous one could be, or how many good deeds we have done, but the want we have done is all about accepting or rejecting Jesus as Lord and Savior. On that last day, there are only the sheep on His right side and the goats on His left. The sheep are given the right to enter the kingdom, and the goats are assigned to the lake of burning sulfur. It comes down to being in or out of the kingdom of God, all because of whether we are in or out of Christ. Nothing we have done or not done while living in this body counts toward our entrance into the kingdom, but only the condition of our hearts that are bent toward Jesus. It is not that we should sin anyway we desire, or think that we do so many good things that we get notable accolades or a bigger crown, with more jewels. The only matter is our accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, following Him, listening to His voice, and spreading our hands and hearts toward heaven. He hears and listens, and He forgives and acts. In fact, He already acted on our behalf by sending Jesus to save us from our sins, to redeem us, and give us eternal life. God has and will continue to act.