PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN ( Conviction ): Today I am convicted and hurt in my heart, Father. My wife and I have not had sexual relations for quite some time due to a couple of procedures she had over the last few months. As a result, I am feeling emotional over something I was woken up to last night and feeling like I am not enough; like I’m second-best; like I’m not a top thought; like I’m not a priority; like I’m not worthy; like I’m not enough of a man for my wife. I know these are all lies from the enemy, Father. Today, I ask for Your forgiveness for me allowing the enemy to get to me on these matters. Help me to always remember that none of this is my identity; rather they are lies and deceptions told to me by the enemy. Help me to be better at rejecting the enemy’s lies and always leaning on Your identity for me, Father; Your truths for me. Help me to overcome this pain and hurt I’m feeling this morning so I may speak to my wife about it in love instead of how the enemy wants me to.
PROMISE ( 1 Kings 4:20-21, 29-30 ): The promise You made to Solomon in a previous chapter is seen coming to fruition and fulfillment here. Not only does he have a great heart of wisdom and discernment thanks to You, but he’s also living in unfathomable riches and glory also thanks to You. So far, Solomon is keeping with his part of the promise in staying focused on You throughout his kingship, which is reaping great spoils for him, Your people, and the kingdom which You have appointed him to reign over. This is such an amazing testimony to the greatness You can provide in our lives when it’s within Your will and we align ourselves with Your will for us, Father.
ATTITUDE ( 1 Kings 4:29 ): You gave Solomon “wisdom, very great insight, and understanding.” I feel like You’ve given me wisdom and understanding for Your truth as well, Father, but I feel I lack the personal conviction to truly embrace and take action on what You are teaching me. I feel like I do good with some things, but not others; like I’m still picking and choosing what I want to take from You. This is not the attitude Solomon has, Father. Help me to be better at truly understanding Your truth, relaying that to spiritual wisdom, and then being better at taking the necessary actions You are calling me to do through that understanding and wisdom.
COMMAND ( 1 Kings 4:32-34 ): In these verses, You say that Solomon wrote over 3,000 proverbs and over 1,000 songs. You say that people came from everywhere to listen to Solomon’s wisdom. The last four words in these verses is truly what’s convicting me today for a command from You—“list to Solomon’s wisdom.” I have not been the best at going through the book of Proverbs, Father. I do seek out individual verses and such, but in terms of truly going through the entire book of Proverbs, I have never done that. Today, I feel like You are pushing me to do this. I feel like Your command to me this morning is that I must begin at the start of Proverbs and work my way through the entire book. Be with me, Father, as I take on this challenge from You. Be with me as I go on this journey through Proverbs with You, Father. I do not know if I’ll journal for all of it or not like I do with my normal quiet times, but what I do commit to is at least reading the book of Proverbs in its entirety. Thank You for Your direction, Father.
EXAMPLE ( 1 Kings 4:29-32 ): You gave Solomon such great wisdom, insight and understanding of Your truth, Your word, and everything around him. As You state here, his wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the east and all of Egypt. You state that he was wiser than anyone (aside from You, of course). The latter part of these verses reminds me of a saying from a comic book I enjoyed reading and watching the movies of. In Spiderman, his uncle says “with great power, comes great responsibility. Solomon embodied this statement. You blessed him with great power and he responsibly used that power to give back to Your kingdom through expanding on what the people had at the time as Your great word. You used him to breath even more words into Your Bible so that the wisdom and insight he had could be used to glorify Your kingdom for so many years and years after his death. I have not been as responsible with the gifts You have given me, Father. Yes, I share my quiet times online but do I fully commit to using my gifts for understanding and insight of Your word to share revelation with others? I don’t think I do, but maybe sharing my quiet times is all You’ve asked of me so far. Help me to truly understand my part, Father. Help me to truly understand not only the power You’ve blessed me with, but also how to responsibly translate that power into glorifying Your kingdom, Father.
*DAILY NOTE: Right off the bat, I must admit that I didn’t think I would get too much out of this chapter. The first half of the chapter is pretty much just listing out names of Solomon’s kingdom. That last 12 verses however--WOW!! You spoke directly to my heart today, Father, and I am so grateful for the quiet time this morning; so grateful for You and the great wisdom and conviction You always seem to give me even when I’m not expecting it or seeking it. How amazing of a Father You are to me. Thank You!
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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