A Devotional Thought From 1 Kings

The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us: That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.     1 Kings 8:57, 58

Solomon’s blessing, for the people of Israel, at the dedication of the Temple teaches us a great truth. He asks that the LORD will be with them just as He was in the days passed when He brought Israel through the Red Sea, kept them in the wilderness, gave them the promised land, and raised up his father, David, as a good and great King. But the prayer for God’s presence had a purpose beyond feeling that God loves them. Solomon prays that in God’s presence with them God will incline their hearts to Himself and to walking in God’s ways, according to His directions, and keeping those things He commanded the children of Israel. God’s presence determines faith living.

It is so in our modern Christian lives as well, God’s presence determines faith living. There are those who would say they believe in Christ as savior, that God is a presence in their lives, and yet they reject certain of the directions in His word because the directions cramp the lifestyle they desire to live. For example, fornication, among other sins, is often committed with no appreciation that committing such sin is not walking in the ways of the Lord. Non-Christian society looks on such sin as akin to something like exceeding the speed limit and not getting caught. Hence, they say, it’s much ado about little, but such sinning calls into question an individual’s quality of Christian commitment.

Praying for God’s presence in your life, believing for God’s presence in your life, living with God’s presence in your life means living His way even if the non-Christian social order gives you permission to sin.