His Doing

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

HIS DOING

1 Kings 12:18-24

18 King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. 20 When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David. 21 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered the whole house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin — a hundred and eighty thousand fighting men — to make war against the house of Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam son of Solomon. 22 But this word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: 23 "Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, to the whole house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, 24'This is what the LORD says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.'" So they obeyed the word of the LORD and went home again, as the LORD had ordered.

NIV

We are not told the reason that Rehoboam sent out Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, but it could have been to enlist more laborers to build something for Rehoboam. Nevertheless, the people had nothing to do with that and stoned Adoniram. Again, we see history in the making as Rehoboam musters the fighting men of Judah and Benjamin to regain the kingship over all Israel. Still, God intervened and had Shemaiah tell Rehoboam and the men he had mustered to go back home, because this split between the tribes was His doing. So they obeyed the word of the LORD and went home as He had ordered. This is our story. Here is where we come into the scene before God. Too often, we try to fight our own battles or make our own way in life, seeking some degree of success or fame. It would be far better to be in submission to our Lord and listen to His word and do what He tells us we are to do. If we truly believe the Lord God Almighty is sovereign, then we would know our lives are His doing. If we believe that He directs our path and orders our footsteps, then we want to make sure we are listening, watching, and waiting for His command, to either go there and do this or stay here and do that. Because we do believe He is sovereign, and we do believe He orders our footsteps, we obey the word of the Lord and do whatever His purpose is for our lives. Although we all have been given the ability to make our own choice, which we have labeled free will, once we choose to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we give him our will, just as we pray His will be done on earth, or in our lives, as it is done in heaven. So then, we are no longer in charge of ourselves; He is. Our lives are His doing.