The graduation speech

Today: Proverbs 1-3

Do you know what people are most afraid of?

It's not dying, a terrorist attack or even spiders.

It's public speaking.

One of the weird things about me? I actually like it.

Almost 11 years ago I was preparing to speak at my high school graduation ceremony (it was on June 4--I do remember that!). I had 10-15 minutes to address my classmates and a room filled with about 1,000 of their parents, friends and relatives. I don't remember exactly what I said, but I'm sure I prayed a lot beforehand...and tried to sound smart, funny, inspiring, deep and challenging. It was a lofty goal for an 18-year old speaker with 10 minutes on the clock.

What do you say when your life is about to change forever?

What do you say when you don't want to say "goodbye"?

What do you say when you just want to cry...and laugh...together?

I wish that I said something like this:

Don't lose your grip on Love and Loyalty.

Tie them around your neck;

carve their initials on your heart.

Earn a reputation for living well

in God's eyes and the eyes of the people.

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

don't try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God's voice in everything you do,

everywhere you go;

he's the one who will keep you on track.

Don't assume that you know it all.

Run to God!

Run from evil!

Your body will glow with health,

your very bones will vibrate with life!

Honor God with everything you own;

give him the first and the best.

Your barns will burst,

your wine vats will brim over.

But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline;

don't sulk under his loving correction.

It's the child he loves that God corrects;

a father's delight is behind all this.

That's a pretty good speech, right? I thought about ending it early...with the "Your barns will burst and your wine vats will brim over" line. But I think the last paragraph is important--perhaps the MOST important. It's a reminder that God may sometimes correct us because He loves us. More importantly, He delights in us:

• When we hold tight to Love and Loyalty...and when we see the folly of our indifference and betrayal,
  
• When we trust Him and when we see that we're not completely in charge,
  
• When we listen to Him and when we learn from our mistakes,
  
• When we honor Him and when we learn to depend on His provision, and
  
• When we love Him through it all...because He's always there loving us SO MUCH more.

The proof is in the promise

Today: 2 Chronicles 6-8

Here's one thing I've learned while reading through the Bible for this blog project: There are definitely common threads throughout. One that never gets old? The idea that God keeps His promises. Take a look at a few portions of Solomon's prayer from today's chapters:

....And now you see the promise completed.

God has done what he said he would do...

God, O God of Israel,

there is no God like you

in the skies above or on the earth below,

who unswervingly

keeps covenant with his servants

and unfailingly

loves them

while they sincerely live in obedience

to your way.

You kept your word to David my father, your promise.

You did exactly what you promised—every detail.

The proof is before us today!

Trust is a big hang-up for people. Many are jaded because of lives marked by unkept promises--from parents, friends, exes, employers, you name it! I've often heard comments like, "I'll believe it when I see it" or "The proof is in the pudding." There's sometimes an element of truth to these statements. But when it comes to God, I've noticed throughout the Bible that He's proved His truth worthiness over and over and over and over and over again. With God, the proof is in the promise--you and I can count on that.

Tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 9-12

Generosity, giving and God

Today: 1 Chronicles 28-2 Chronicles 1

In today's passage, this portion of one of David's final prayers (just before he passed the throne and Temple-building project on to his son Solomon) stood out to me most. I love the phrasing in The Message and though this excerpt is short, there's a lot of great wisdom and heart :

"...But me—who am I, and who are these my people,

that we should presume to be giving something to you?

Everything comes from you;

all we're doing is giving back what we've been given from your generous hand.

As far as you're concerned,

we're homeless, shiftless wanderers like our ancestors,
our lives mere shadows, hardly anything to us.

God, our God, all these materials—

these piles of stuff for building a house of worship for you,

honoring your Holy Name—

it all came from you!

It was all yours in the first place!

I know, dear God, that you care nothing for the surface—

you want us, our true selves—

and so I have given from the heart, honestly and happily.

And now see all these people doing the same, giving freely, willingly—

what a joy!

O God, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,

keep this generous spirit alive forever

in these people always,

keep their hearts set firmly in you.

And give my son Solomon

an uncluttered and focused heart

so that he can obey what you command,

live by your directions and counsel,

and carry through with building The Temple for which I have provided."

Tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 2-5

You're all set

Today: 1 Chronicles 22-24

The past few weeks, I’ve been traveling a lot…on a really big boat, planes, cars and right now, I’m actually on a train. It’s a really good feeling (especially at the airport) when you’ve checked in your bags, picked up your boarding pass, get through security and then hear these magical words: “You’re all set.” Love it!

In today’s passage, David said those great words to his son Solomon. But Solomon was set for so much more than planes, trains and automobiles. Take a look at David’s words to his son here:

"So now, son, God be with you.

God-speed as you build the sanctuary for your God,

the job God has given you.

And may God also give you discernment and understanding

when he puts you in charge of Israel

so that you will rule in reverent obedience

under God's Revelation.

That's what will make you successful,

following the directions

and doing the things that God commanded

Moses for Israel.

Courage!

Take charge!

Don't be timid;

don't hold back.

Look at this—

I've gone to a lot of trouble

to stockpile materials for the sanctuary of God…

And you're free to add more…

You're all set—get to work!

And God-speed!"

What I love about this passage is what it reveals about the concept of legacy. David left Solomon great wealth, but not just in material things. In this brief excerpt, we can see how David passed along spiritual guidance, encouragement and advice. But David set up his son with more than just words—he tangibly gathered things and people together to help Solomon complete his life’s work (building a temple for God). David never saw the temple, yet he sacrificed his time, wealth and energy to prepare for its existence.

As I read this passage, I looked at it from both ends—the David side of setting up someone else and the Solomon side of reaping benefits from previous generations. Here are a few simple questions that I’m asking myself…and maybe you want to ask them, too:

• How have you been “set up” by other people (family, friends, co-workers and complete strangers)? By God?
  
• What are you doing to set up someone else for his/her purpose?

Tomorrow: 1 Chronicles 25-27

Famous people

Today: 1 Kings 10-11

Today I had an actual brush with fame. Seriously. I stood in line with a few friends to try and meet a star from one of my FAVORITE shows as a preteen. That's right, ladies and gentlemen--it was Mario Lopez from "Saved by the Bell."

The line snaked around a store entrance. When Mario arrived, grown women (not me or my friends--in case you were wondering) started shrieking and screaming like little girls at the mall waiting to see Hannah Montana.

The line was SO LONG that my friends and I gave up after an hour and a half of waiting (he did walk right by us, shook my friend's hand and patted her baby's head). We like Mario and everything, but we were mostly there to meet an icon from our childhood memories...and get a picture to make our Facebook friends jealous. :)

I thought about my brush with a famous person as I read today's passage about Solomon and his fame. Mario (as cool as he is) is best known for a TV show (or two...or three), a mullet and a great smile. Mario's fans have heard about him through TV and the Internet. But Solomon? He was famous well before modern technology. Solomon was famous through word of mouth. But don't take my word for it--let's re-read portions of this passage:

The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon

and his connection with the Name of God.

She came to put his reputation to the test by asking tough questions...

She came to Solomon and talked about all the things that she cared about,

emptying her heart to him.

Solomon answered everything she put to him—

nothing stumped him.

When the queen of Sheba experienced for herself

Solomon's wisdom...

it took her breath away.
She said to the king, "It's all true!

Your reputation for accomplishment and wisdom

that reached all the way to my country is confirmed.

I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself;

they didn't exaggerate!

Such wisdom and elegance—

far more than I could ever have imagined.

Lucky the men and women who work for you,

getting to be around you every day

and hear your wise words firsthand!

And blessed be God, your God,

who took such a liking to you and made you king.

Clearly, God's love for Israel is behind this,

making you king to keep a just order and nurture a God-pleasing people."

Pretty cool, right? Solomon was definitely famous. It wasn't just the Queen of Sheba that heard about him or came to visit--the passage says, "People came from all over the world to be with Solomon and drink in the wisdom God had given him." Wow.

I think it's interesting because Solomon never aspired to be famous. He wanted to love God and to serve people well as a young leader--so he asked God for wisdom. His wisdom made him famous, but more importantly, it made God famous. In several portions of the passage, people identified the greatness in Solomon with the greatness of God.

Food for thought: Even if you're never famous, what will people you actually know say about the greatness in you?

Tomorrow: 1 Kings 12-14

Solomon's prayer

Today: 1 Kings 8-9

A few days ago, I posted portions from one of David's prayers. In today's passage, Solomon's prayer of dedication at the temple stood out to me most. I thought it would be could to highlight portions of it here. [Note that the ellipses (...) indicate my omissions of the text. This is just a snapshot of some great verses--please read the chapters along with me for the full picture.]

O God, God of Israel,

there is no God like you

in the skies above or on the earth below

who unswervingly keeps covenant with his servants

and relentlessly loves them

as they sincerely live in obedience to your way.

You kept your word to David my father,

your personal word.

You did exactly what you promised—

every detail.

The proof is before us today!
Keep it up, God...

Can it be that God will actually move into our neighborhood?

Why, the cosmos itself isn't large enough to give you breathing room,

let alone this Temple I've built.

Even so, I'm bold to ask:

Pay attention to these my prayers,

both intercessory and personal,

O God, my God.

Listen to my prayers...

Tomorrow: 1 Kings 10-11

What to do when you're overwhelmed

Today: 1 Kings 3-5

"How do you feel?

If we did a poll on the street and asked people to honestly answer this question, I bet the word "overwhelmed" (or some equivalent) would come up often.

People around us could be overwhelmed if they're unemployed or if their jobs are extra demanding. Perhaps they've just had a new baby. Maybe they're facing a health crisis, significant debt or divorce. This list could get REALLY long and depressing. But that's not what this post is about.

In today's passage, a young king named Solomon was feeling...well, overwhelmed. His father David died after successfully ruling a nation for over 40 years. After some serious family drama, Solomon took the throne. But he was young and inexperienced. How could he lead palace staff, an army...and the rest of the country?

Solomon generously gave God an offering. And then God talked with Solomon in a dream:

God said, "What can I give you? Ask."

Solomon said, "You were extravagantly generous in love

with David my father, and he lived faithfully in your presence,

his relationships were just and his heart right.

And you have persisted in this great and generous love by giving him—

and this very day!—

a son to sit on his throne.

"And now here I am:

God, my God, you have made me, your servant,

ruler of the kingdom in place of David my father.

I'm too young for this, a mere child!

I don't know the ropes, hardly know the 'ins' and 'outs' of this job.

And here I am,

set down in the middle of the people you've chosen,

a great people—far too many to ever count.

"Here's what I want: Give me a God-listening heart

so I can lead your people well,

discerning the difference between good and evil.

For who

on their own

is capable

of leading

your glorious people?"

A few things that stood out to me today:

• I love how the message describes Solomon's request as a plea for a "God-listening heart." In most translations, it's wisdom. But aren't they synonymous with each other? Wise people listen to God, who is wisdom itself.
  
• Listening is a common action for wise people--they listen to others and have the ability to learn from what they say (even if it's what not to do).
  
• Perhaps most of all, I love God's initial request to Solomon--ask! God loved Solomon and didn't want to leave him feeling lost or overwhelmed. He cared. He offered help. And He delivered.
  
• God's question and offer to Solomon wasn't a one time event exclusively for one person. Repeatedly, He offered a similar solution to other people in the Bible...and I think the request extends to us, too. (See Jesus' words in Matthew 7, for example.)

Don't be overwhelmed--it's okay to ask for help. We could all use a little more wisdom in our lives--and our world could also use some more people with God-listening hearts.

Tomorrow: 1 Kings 6-7