I love 1 Kings 8... another favorite location in the Bible for me personally. So much depth and spiritual application to our lives today...
1 Kings 8:10 shares how when the priest came out of the holy place, that the cloud of the Lord filled the house of the Lord so much so that the priest could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the GLORY OF THE LORD HAD FILLED THE PLACE.
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! As I read this chapter again, my heart wants to cry out, "Lord, do it again! Do it now! Do it in our lives, in my life. May your glory so fill this temple and this life, that I will not be able to do the work, that I will not be seen, that nothing of self will take possession of the ministry, but that YOU alone will receive the honor and glory."
I believe this should be the life of every converted and consecrated servant of God. We should be so filled with the Holy Spirit that God's presence will overflow our life. We simply cannot, but when we step aside, and surrender, He can and He will.
I love Solomon's prayer of dedication... His recognition that the "heavens and the earth cannot contain [God], much less this temple" and yet he humbly entreats God's blessing. He even pleads on behalf of the strangers in the camp. "Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name." (1 Kings 8:43)
Regarding this part of the prayer, Ellen White writes, "One of the most touching portions of Solomon's dedicatory prayer was his plea to God for the strangers that should come from countries afar to learn more of Him whose fame had spread among the nations." (Prophets and Kings, p. 66)
In 1 Kings 9 God responds... "I have heard thy prayer and they supplications."
What a glorious and beautiful time in Solomon's reign...
[Personal Updates: I've had a beautiful time speaking for a couple different churches here in Manila. Great attendance at meetings and very hungry and eager listeners. Wish I could stay longer with these precious friends. Today I will do a little sightseeing in Manila (my only free day to do this), and then tomorrow I fly to another island in the south, Ilio Ilio, for more speaking appointments. I will stay in Ilio Ilio Philippines for the remainder of my time here. And I've been so taken care of and spoiled by the care of the people here. The hospitality of everyone is so touching. We could learn some lessons. And the food has been amazing...my only complaint, TOO MUCH of it!! :-) I think I'm gaining weight. I don't usually have so many meals... sigh... but since that's my only real trouble, I really have nothing to complain. God has been so good. Manila is a bustling busy city, and I'm not a city girl... but the people here have certainly captured my heart. I haven't been able to fulfill all the requests and speaking entreaties I've received. So I expect I will be coming back at some future time... God has been good!]
Tomorrow's Reading: 1 Kings 10-11 and 1 Cor. 13
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