“No Insult Like the Truth” by Charlie Peacock – No minefield like presumption, no death with like denial

“No Insult Like The Truth” By Charlie Peacock

I’ve run my ship aground
on the rocks of the soul
There’s no lie like independence
there’s no demon like control
I’ve fanned the burning embers
til my house was on fire
There’s no parody like power
There’s no fever like desire
I’ve drained the wine of darkness
to the dregs of deceit
There’s no drug as strong as pride
There’s no blindness like conceit
I’ve railed against the mountain
With a pickaxe and a file
There’s no minefield like presumption
There’s no death wish like denial

There’s no gunshot like conviction
There’s no conscience bulletproof
There’s no strength like utter weakness
There’s no insult like the truth

I’ve adjusted my prescription
til I couldn’t trust my vision
there’s no killer like convenience
there’s no sickness like omission
I’ve amended resolutions and resisted explanation
There’s no trap door like emotion
There’s no pit like reputation

There’s no gunshot like conviction
There’s no conscience bulletproof
There’s no strength like utter weakness
There’s no insult like the truth

There’s no cancer like ambition
There’s no cure like crucifixion
There’s no cancer like ambition
There’s no cure like crucifixion

There’s no gunshot like conviction
There’s no conscience bulletproof
There’s no strength like utter weakness
There’s no insult like the truth

This is part of a series dissecting the song “No Insult Like the Truth” by Charlie Peacock. In the series, I am taking two of the statements he makes and exploring the depth of meaning behind them and what I can learn about myself in the process.

—

Dear God, I have to say that it has been both fun and a little daunting to sit down and play with the lyrics of this song in this way. It takes a while, so I’m glad I’m doing it on vacation. In this case, I am sitting on a deck in the mountains at 3:00 in the afternoon, and I want to make sure that while I’m on vacation I’m not abandoning my love and my worship of you.

There’s no minefield like presumption

I think I need to delve into the word presumption a little. And why would Charlie call it a minefield?

I just looked up the definition of presumption on dictionary.com. I liked this specific definition for my purposes today: “The assumption of something as true.” The word assumption is key here. I looked up the difference between presume and assume, and apparently the difference is that presumption is based upon probability, where assumption isn’t.

So what kinds of things do I presume? A lot of my presumptions are based around people and their motives. I see someone act in a certain way and I presume I know their motives and what they are trying to accomplish. The biggest mistake that I think I and a lot of others make is that we presume others have sinister motives when they do something we see as mean or vindictive. Almost always, however, that other person doesn’t see their own activity that way at all. They see themselves as doing the good and noble thing. The righteous thing. The just thing. I presume they are being intentionally mean when they are just doing what they see as the right thing to do. The minefield comes when I act on my presumptions. When I ascribe those evil motives to the person and then respond in kind (righteously from my perspective and possibly evil from their perspective) then things blow up. BOOM! That, I think, is at least part of the minefield of presumption.

There’s no death wish like denial

Denial is one of those troubling things that we all fail into. From the addict that won’t admit her life is becoming unmanageable and she has to give up her substance of choice, to the person in the first step of the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance), denial of reality is something that is so tempting. Dealing with the reality of a situation can mean discomfort for us. But it will lock us up. It will hurt to admit weakness and deny ourselves.

Is there anything I’m denying? Is there anything I’m glossing over in the name of peace? I can think of one situation right now that is challenging to know how to address. The temptation is to just let it sit there and deny that it is a problem at all. But it is. I know it is. I know there is a train on the track and it’s possible for it to be addressed and headed into a healthier direction. But if I deny to myself that it’s something that needs to be addressed urgently then I will put it off until tomorrow. But at some point, tomorrow is too late. Maybe, when it comes to this particular situation, I do have a bit of a death wish if I stay in denial.

Father, help me to see situations accurately. Help me to gather facts and not make dangerous presumptions. And then, when I have discerned the truth, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

“No Insult Like The Truth” by Charlie Peacock — No drug as strong as pride, no blindness like conceit

“No Insult Like The Truth” By Charlie Peacock

I’ve run my ship aground
on the rocks of the soul
There’s no lie like independence
there’s no demon like control
I’ve fanned the burning embers
til my house was on fire
There’s no parody like power
There’s no fever like desire
I’ve drained the wine of darkness
to the dregs of deceit
There’s no drug as strong as pride
There’s no blindness like conceit
I’ve railed against the mountain
With a pickaxe and a file
There’s no minefield like presumption
There’s no death wish like denial

There’s no gunshot like conviction
There’s no conscience bulletproof
There’s no strength like utter weakness
There’s no insult like the truth

I’ve adjusted my prescription
til I couldn’t trust my vision
there’s no killer like convenience
there’s no sickness like omission
I’ve amended resolutions and resisted explanation
There’s no trap door like emotion
There’s no pit like reputation

There’s no gunshot like conviction
There’s no conscience bulletproof
There’s no strength like utter weakness
There’s no insult like the truth

There’s no cancer like ambition
There’s no cure like crucifixion
There’s no cancer like ambition
There’s no cure like crucifixion

There’s no gunshot like conviction
There’s no conscience bulletproof
There’s no strength like utter weakness
There’s no insult like the truth

This is part of a series dissecting the song “No Insult Like the Truth” by Charlie Peacock. In the series, I am taking two of the statements he makes and exploring the depth of meaning behind them and what I can learn about myself in the process.

—

Dear God, in English classes in college I used to be critical of literary criticism (no pun intended) and think that people were intentionally trying to make something out of an author’s piece that the author never intended. Sometimes a rock is just a rock and not the hardness of my soul. I bring that up now because I can’t help but wonder if I’m doing that with this song. Am I taking things that aren’t there and putting them there. If Charlie were to read what I’ve written about this, would he fall over laughing and pity me? I don’t know. But I guess the reason I’m doing this isn’t because of what he intended in it, but to see if there is anything that the Holy Spirit has to say to me through these words that Charlie wrote down years ago. I suppose reading poetry and literature isn’t always about what the author intended to say. Sometimes it’s about what their words say to me.

There’s no drug as strong as pride

I think there are two things that give drugs their power. First, there is the effect they have on you and then there is the addiction they create to maintain that effect. So what does pride give me? What is the effect it has on me? One big thing I think it does is make me numb to the needs and feelings of others. If I am prideful then I don’t care how my actions impact others. Their feelings must be sacrificed for my pride, and if that’s not good enough for them then they can leave.

A few years ago, I heard a public figure who claimed to be a Christian say that he had never found a need to ask you for forgiveness. Well, dying to yourself and crucifying your pride is ground zero/step one for a Christian. If I don’t need your forgiveness then I don’t need Jesus. He wasted his time on me. Of course, that is ridiculous. But holding on to pride numbs me from how my actions impact everyone, including you.

I went to a presentation on how to administer a drug called Narcan, which will save someone suffering from an opioid overdoes. They compared the effect opioids have on your brain with the vacuum tubes that lotteries use for selecting lottery numbers. The vacuum tubes suck the ping pong balls onto themselves and don’t let go. Apparently, that is what our neurons do with opioids. They suck them onto themselves and don’t let go. This masks whatever that neuron is supposed to be communicating, including anxiety and pain. Narcan’s role is to come in and almost instantly knock all of those ping pong balls off of the vacuum tubes. Within about a minute, all of those neurons are instantly experiencing everything the opioid had been masking. They said that after you give someone Narcan, get out of the way because within 60 seconds they will be really alert and angry because all of the pain and/or anxiety will be back in an instant.

I think I could make the argument that pride is the same way. When I decide to come to the foot of your cross and die to it…When I decide to lay down my self and embrace your Spirit then I am going to allow myself to realize just how many people I have hurt. Unlike Narcan, I don’t think the effect is instant. It’s something the Holy Spirit gets to work on with me over time. I am still discovering ways in which I hurt others and disappoint you, even 40 years after my baptism. You are still refining me and pulling out the dross. But none of it starts until I make that first step. There is no drug as strong as pride.

There’s no blindness like conceit

As I stop and think about the word “conceit” I think about the political situation in our country–especially among non-politicians. The hypocrisy is epidemic, and it’s on both sides. There are moderates who can look at and evaluate people objectively, but it seems like the most vocal people, whether they are the media themselves or those who have a lot to say on social media, can’t see beyond whether or not the politician in question has an R or D next to their name. For example, Republicans were merciless towards Bill Clinton and his philandering (and alleged sexual assaults) in the 90s while Democrats defended him. Now, Democrats are all over President Trump for philandering and alleged sexual assaults while Republicans defend him. There is a conceitedness among both sides. They can’t admit weakness. They can’t show vulnerability. They also can’t extend love and mercy to someone with the wrong political letter (D or R) next to their name because their conceit blinds them from seeing the log in their own eyes or the eyes of those they support.

So that’s politics, but let’s bring it closer to home. What about me? Where does my conceit blind me? I know I judge others all of the time. I judge them for being shallow and making poor decisions. I judge them for not humbling themselves before you. I do it all out of conceit. I used to judge parents whose children were struggling until I went through parenting struggles of my own. Yes, as I said earlier, the Holy Spirit is still working on me and revealing my sin to me because my conceit makes me blind.

—

Father, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for my pride. I’m sorry for my conceit. I’m sorry for my pettiness and meanness that are really just symptoms of the shame that I try to numb with my pride. Administer the Narcan of the Holy Spirit to me. And as the absence of pride and conceit reveal the insecurities and pain that were being masked, please help me to heal.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

“No Insult Like the Truth” by Charlie Peacock — No parody like power, no fever like desire

“No Insult Like The Truth” By Charlie Peacock

I’ve run my ship aground
on the rocks of the soul
There’s no lie like independence
there’s no demon like control
I’ve fanned the burning embers
til my house was on fire
There’s no parody like power
There’s no fever like desire
I’ve drained the wine of darkness
to the dregs of deceit
There’s no drug as strong as pride
There’s no blindness like conceit
I’ve railed against the mountain
With a pickaxe and a file
There’s no minefield like presumption
There’s no death wish like denial

There’s no gunshot like conviction
There’s no conscience bulletproof
There’s no strength like utter weakness
There’s no insult like the truth

I’ve adjusted my prescription
til I couldn’t trust my vision
there’s no killer like convenience
there’s no sickness like omission
I’ve amended resolutions and resisted explanation
There’s no trap door like emotion
There’s no pit like reputation

There’s no gunshot like conviction
There’s no conscience bulletproof
There’s no strength like utter weakness
There’s no insult like the truth

There’s no cancer like ambition
There’s no cure like crucifixion
There’s no cancer like ambition
There’s no cure like crucifixion

There’s no gunshot like conviction
There’s no conscience bulletproof
There’s no strength like utter weakness
There’s no insult like the truth

This is part of a series dissecting the song “No Insult Like the Truth” by Charlie Peacock. In the series, I am taking two of the statements he makes and exploring the depth of meaning behind them and what I can learn about myself in the process.

Dear God, let me start by saying that I misunderstood what Charlie said in relation to “power.” I thought he said, “There’s no PARITY like power.” Obviously, this really changes the meaning, and I’m not sure my “parity” holds up except that this is a song about paradoxes and the idea that “power” and “parity” are more alike that we know is interesting to play with.

“There’s no parody like power”

But that’s not what it says (and I’ve checked several sources to make sure). “There is no parody like power.” When I think of “parody,” my first thoughts are of Saturday Night Live and the sketches they do. Not always, but often they are mocking people in power. Whomever the president happens to be at the time. Celebrities. Various politicians or business executives. They exercise power in different ways, and SNL delights in finding the joke in what they think of themselves. Maybe that’s the way to analyze power: the person with the power’s perception of themselves, and the perception of those who are influenced by their power.

“Power” is probably a more pervasive part of our lives than we realize. There are the obvious examples: politicians, bosses, etc. But then there are others like parents/guardians. But what we probably don’t think about enough is the slow burn that an emotionally abusive person does to someone else. My wife and I were on a long car ride yesterday for our vacation and we listened to a book she wanted me to hear. In it, the main character is a woman who was in an emotionally abusive marriage, and on the day she was ready to get in the car and leave her husband he ended up dying in a freak car accident. Later in the book, she is explaining to someone how mean he was to her even though everyone else in the world thought he was wonderful. I couldn’t help but wonder while we were driving if there is ANY part of me that makes my wife feel that way. Am I ANY different behind closed doors than I am in public? Of course, there are things she knows about me that no one else knows, but is my character different? How do I make her feel about herself? It’s the kind of question you ask yourself, but you’re almost afraid to say it out loud and ask your wife.

So what is the parody of that kind of power? Well, I suppose it’s the idea that it isn’t legitimate at all. That kind of power is derived through intimidation. But in the grand scheme of things, even if I am mean to my wife in order to either get my way or somehow make my insecure self feel better, what I have is nothing in the reality of the universe. Demons are still working. Satan still has his plans. I will still have to answer to you one day. And our time here is so, so short compared to eternity. Any power I would create for myself would be an absolute joke to you. Yes, from your perspective, I would imagine that there is, indeed, no parody like the power we create for ourselves. And you showed us what power really looks like through the servant leadership of Jesus. He gave guidance and taught people what they needed to know, but he also served and loved. He accepted the sinner, but also told them to sin no more. That kind of power is not a parody at all.

“There’s no fever like desire”

Of course, there are different kinds of “fever.” In this case, I think Charlie is referring to this definition of fever:

a state of nervous excitement or agitation.

“I was in a fever of expectation”

I am sure a lot of people have said this over the years, but I think I first heard C.S. Lewis say that the desiring of something can be more powerful and even fulfilling than the having of it. For example, in my life right now I am really wanting a new bicycle trainer that I can use indoors over the winter. At the end of the day, I’m probably looking at about $1,200 to $1,500 to get everything set up just the way I want it. I’ve spent a lot of time watching YouTube videos about what I want. I’ve looked at websites. I’ve watched commercials. I’ve talked to my local bike shop. I really want one of these things and I’m looking toward to the day when I can get one. But I can also say that the “desire” for this thing triggers something in my brain that pushes me forward. Do I need it? That’s debatable. If pressed, I could make a case for it. But I certainly “desire” this thing. It is a fever.

So how do I keep this fever for things, even power, from controlling me? How do I keep them from becoming my idol? How do I keep from looking to them for my happiness instead of you? Those are the important questions. And the answer is through self-discipline. Through intentionally denying myself or delaying my gratification. I have been looking at lot at Solomon lately. Maybe one of his problems was that he never put his “desire” in check and the more he accumulated the more he pursued. It is a “fever” that won’t break because the “desire” for something can be more powerful than actually having it.

—

Father, when it comes down to power and desire, part of me submitting my life to you is dying to these things. It is disciplining myself to spend time in worship of you and communing with you. Then, as the Holy Spirit finds good soil in my heart within which he can work, he will plant seeds in me that will grow. Those seeds will teach me to see the world and others as you see them. They will teach me that “power” is a “parody.” They will teach me that “desire” is a “fever” that must be broken. And then He will help me apply those lessons to my life. Oh, Holy Spirit, teach me gently.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

“No Insult Like the Truth” by Charlie Peacock – No lie like independence, no demon like control

“No Insult Like The Truth” By Charlie Peacock

I’ve run my ship aground
on the rocks of the soul
There’s no lie like independence
there’s no demon like control
I’ve fanned the burning embers
til my house was on fire
There’s no parody like power
There’s no fever like desire
I’ve drained the wine of darkness
to the dregs of deceit
There’s no drug as strong as pride
There’s no blindness like conceit
I’ve railed against the mountain
With a pickaxe and a file
There’s no minefield like presumption
There’s no death wish like denial

There’s no gunshot like conviction
There’s no conscience bulletproof
There’s no strength like utter weakness
There’s no insult like the truth

I’ve adjusted my prescription
til I couldn’t trust my vision
there’s no killer like convenience
there’s no sickness like omission
I’ve amended resolutions and resisted explanation
There’s no trap door like emotion
There’s no pit like reputation

There’s no gunshot like conviction
There’s no conscience bulletproof
There’s no strength like utter weakness
There’s no insult like the truth

There’s no cancer like ambition
There’s no cure like crucifixion
There’s no cancer like ambition
There’s no cure like crucifixion

There’s no gunshot like conviction
There’s no conscience bulletproof
There’s no strength like utter weakness
There’s no insult like the truth

This is part of a series dissecting the song “No Insult Like the Truth” by Charlie Peacock. In the series, I am taking two of the statements he makes and exploring the depth of meaning behind them and what I can learn about myself in the process.

Dear God, it’s time to dig in and spend some time with that.

Part 1: There’s no like like independence.

I looked up the definition of independence today. Of course, there were many. The basic idea, however, is that you are able to do it. Yourself. No accountability. No help. No need for help.

My first thought is to think of a child becoming an adult. Becoming independent. Of course, they want that independence long before they are ready for it. It’s probably the root of most of the conflicts that teen children have with their parents. Okay, children of all ages, including toddlers.

But here’s the secret. We are never independent. Unless we move to the woods, forage for our own food and build our own shelter with our bare hands (no tools made by someone else), we will always be in need of something that someone else does. Business people need customers and staff. They need suppliers and deals. Consumers need home builders/apartments, grocery stores, banks, etc. Just to live, we need community.

But on a deeper level, we all benefit from people who reach out and help us, whether we want to acknowledge it or not. My dad is very accomplished, but he is quick to tell anyone the long list of people who impacted his life and helped him achieve what he did. He didn’t do it “on his own” even though he would be considered a “self-made man.” For me in my life, beyond my parents, I have had several people who have blessed me and helped me over the years. As the director of a nonprofit, we depend on literally hundreds (actually over 1,000) of people every year to do what we do.

Then there’s you. I need you. I need the forgiveness and love that you give to me. I need the accountability. I need it for peace. I need it because a truly independent life is a lonely life.

Yes, I think it is fair to say that there is no lie like independence.

Part 2: There’s no demon like control.

What are the things I try to control? I try to control myself. In fact, one of the “fruits of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22-23 is self-control. But good self-control is something that flows from being in right relationship with you and the Holy Spirit living in me. It isn’t something that I can will. Paul makes that clear in Romans 7:15-20.

What about controlling others. As I think about it this morning, I wonder if this is what is behind a lot of our current national angst. Is the reason a lot of us feel the need to put our opinions up so freely on social media because we are needing to feel like we can control something that we want to control. Do I want to control what is happening politically? Religiously? Socially? Is that Satan’s primary tool that he uses to divide us? Control?

I’m about to head out on vacation today. What kind of control will I try to exercise in the name of leisure? Will I try to dictate our schedule? Our driving route? Our menu and meals? What we listen to? Our conversation? And if I do, what kind of division will it cause between my wife and me and how much will Satan enjoy that?

That example can be applied to a lot of things. Control is selfishness–the root sin. Independence is it’s cousin.

—

Father, help me to die to myself enough to recognize that I am completely dependent upon you and others. Let my pride go by the wayside so that I might be a blessing to others instead. And help me to be part of building them up as well. Help me to go through the next week thinking about giving up control and enjoying the freedom you offer.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

“No Insult Like The Truth” by Charlie Peacock

“No Insult Like The Truth” By Charlie Peacock

I’ve run my ship aground
on the rocks of the soul
There’s no lie like independence
there’s no demon like control
I’ve fanned the burning embers
til my house was on fire
There’s no parody like power
There’s no fever like desire
I’ve drained the wine of darkness
to the dregs of deceit
There’s no drug as strong as pride
There’s no blindness like conceit
I’ve railed against the mountain
With a pickaxe and a file
There’s no minefield like presumption
There’s no death wish like denial

There’s no gunshot like conviction
There’s no conscience bulletproof
There’s no strength like utter weakness
There’s no insult like the truth

I’ve adjusted my prescription
til I couldn’t trust my vision
there’s no killer like convenience
there’s no sickness like omission
I’ve amended resolutions and resisted explanation
There’s no trap door like emotion
There’s no pit like reputation

There’s no gunshot like conviction
There’s no conscience bulletproof
There’s no strength like utter weakness
There’s no insult like the truth

There’s no cancer like ambition
There’s no cure like crucifixion
There’s no cancer like ambition
There’s no cure like crucifixion

There’s no gunshot like conviction
There’s no conscience bulletproof
There’s no strength like utter weakness
There’s no insult like the truth

Dear God, I can’t believe I’ve never journaled about this song before. When it came out, over 20 years ago, I thought about writing a companion book to go with it. My vision was a chapter title that would go with each little statement Charlie Peacock makes. For example, there would be a chapter called “There’s No Lie Like Independence.” Then I would explore the word “independence” and see what kind of truths there are in it. Frankly, it might horrify Charlie to think that someone took each word and phrase so seriously. I don’t know how carefully he picked each phrase in this song. But I think there’s a lot of depth to it.

With that being said, I think I want to do a series that will basically do a journal for each of the statements he makes. For tonight, let me write them here so I can see what I’m getting into:

• There’s no like like independence.
• There’s no demon like control.
• There’s no parody like power.
• There’s no fever like desire.
• There’s no drug as strong as pride.
• There’s no blindness like conceit.
• There’s no minefield like presumption.
• There’s no death wish like denial.
• There’s no killer like convenience.
• There’s no sickness like omission.
• There’s no trap door like emotion.
• There’s no pit like reputation.
• There’s no cancer like ambition.
• There’s no cure like crucifixion.
• There’s no gun shot like conviction.
• There’s no strength like utter weakness.
• There’s no insult like the truth.

I’m about to spend the next 8 days on vacation and there are 16 of these here. I think what I’ll do is take them two at a time since that’s how Charlie groups them and then go from there. I hope this will be fun and I’ll get to hear your Holy Spirit speaking to me through this song I’ve heard so many times.

Father, before I close, I want to confess to you that I’ve not been as dependent upon or worshipful of you as I should have been lately. I’m sorry. I’ve taken credit for things that you have done. I’ve taken your glory for myself. I’m very sorry. Thank you. Thank you for everything good. Thank you for every struggle. My I always deflect any glory that comes my way and point others to you. You are amazing.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

“Labor of Love” by Fred Smith

“Labor of Love” by Fred Smith

Dear God, every once in a while Fred Smith will write a blog that sparks something in me that I feel like I need to pray through. His post today is one of those times.

I was part of a committee a couple of years ago that always seemed like a waste of time. My criticism of it was that the woman leading it seemed to go out of her way to make it not be an imposition on the members, but in doing so she made it feel more like a waste of time. It felt like I was just killing an hour at the meeting.

The same can be true of a lot of things, and I can be guilty of it as well. One of the problems with our board meetings for the nonprofit where I work is that the board members can feel like they have too little to do. They come and hear book reports about what the staff is doing, either bless it or give some constructive criticism on how it can be better, and then they move on. We’ve worked over the last couple of years to make the meetings more engaging so that everyone feels the joy of their involvement here.

On the other side of the equation, I got a thank you card from a volunteer yesterday. I had sent her a note thanking her for coming to help on a special project and she replied:

Thank you for your kind letter. It is I who should thank you though. Putting tabs on the newsletter was good “therapy” for me–doing something useful, getting me away from Mom’s move to Fredericksburg, and delightful conversation with you and Carol…I am happy to help when I can.

And I know all of this. I know that I get more joy in giving and working than I get from taking and receiving. In fact, I think that it is actually awkward for most of us to receive from others and ask them to do things. That’s probably why we try to make it as easy and convenient as possible.

Father, help me to remember this lesson today. Help me to remember to, first, demand the best of myself. Then help me to lovingly expect the best of the staff and volunteers here at our nonprofit. Help me to continue to lovingly hold my children to a high standard. Keep me from getting in the way of how you are developing them as adults. And help me to spread your joy to all around me so that others might be drawn to you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Solomon — 1 Kings 8:22-53

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire community of Israel. He lifted his hands toward heaven, and he prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion. You have kept your promise to your servant David, my father. You made that promise with your own mouth, and with your own hands you have fulfilled it today. “And now, O Lord, God of Israel, carry out the additional promise you made to your servant David, my father. For you said to him, ‘If your descendants guard their behavior and faithfully follow me as you have done, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’ Now, O God of Israel, fulfill this promise to your servant David, my father. “But will God really live on earth? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built! Nevertheless, listen to my prayer and my plea, O Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is making to you today. May you watch over this Temple night and day, this place where you have said, ‘My name will be there.’ May you always hear the prayers I make toward this place. May you hear the humble and earnest requests from me and your people Israel when we pray toward this place. Yes, hear us from heaven where you live, and when you hear, forgive. “If someone wrongs another person and is required to take an oath of innocence in front of your altar in this Temple, then hear from heaven and judge between your servants—the accuser and the accused. Punish the guilty as they deserve. Acquit the innocent because of their innocence. “If your people Israel are defeated by their enemies because they have sinned against you, and if they turn to you and acknowledge your name and pray to you here in this Temple, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and return them to this land you gave their ancestors. “If the skies are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and if they pray toward this Temple and acknowledge your name and turn from their sins because you have punished them, then hear from heaven and forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them to follow the right path, and send rain on your land that you have given to your people as their special possession. “If there is a famine in the land or a plague or crop disease or attacks of locusts or caterpillars, or if your people’s enemies are in the land besieging their towns—whatever disaster or disease there is— and if your people Israel pray about their troubles, raising their hands toward this Temple, then hear from heaven where you live, and forgive. Give your people what their actions deserve, for you alone know each human heart. Then they will fear you as long as they live in the land you gave to our ancestors. “In the future, foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel will hear of you. They will come from distant lands because of your name, for they will hear of your great name and your strong hand and your powerful arm. And when they pray toward this Temple, then hear from heaven where you live, and grant what they ask of you. In this way, all the people of the earth will come to know and fear you, just as your own people Israel do. They, too, will know that this Temple I have built honors your name. “If your people go out where you send them to fight their enemies, and if they pray to the Lord by turning toward this city you have chosen and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name, then hear their prayers from heaven and uphold their cause. “If they sin against you—and who has never sinned?—you might become angry with them and let their enemies conquer them and take them captive to their land far away or near. But in that land of exile, they might turn to you in repentance and pray, ‘We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly.’ If they turn to you with their whole heart and soul in the land of their enemies and pray toward the land you gave to their ancestors—toward this city you have chosen, and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name— then hear their prayers and their petition from heaven where you live, and uphold their cause. Forgive your people who have sinned against you. Forgive all the offenses they have committed against you. Make their captors merciful to them, for they are your people—your special possession—whom you brought out of the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt. “May your eyes be open to my requests and to the requests of your people Israel. May you hear and answer them whenever they cry out to you. For when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt, O Sovereign Lord, you told your servant Moses that you had set Israel apart from all the nations of the earth to be your own special possession.”
1 Kings 8:22-53

Dear God, this prayer is so long, I think what I’d like to do is break it down by outlining it so I can see beyond the words into the types of things for which Solomon was praying. So here we go:

• Worship
  • No one like you.
  • Keep your covenants
  • Show unfailing lov
• Kept your promise to David
• Supplication
  • Carry out your promise to David
    • If we do this then you will do that
• Requests for the Temple
  • Let your presence be here
  • Watch over the temple
  • Hear the prayers we make here
  • Judge your people here
  • Forgive us here
    • Defeat in war – Forgive us here when we repent
    • Drought – Forgive us here when we repent
    • Famine – Forgive us here when we repent
  • Welcome foreigners here
  • Hear us when we pray for victory against enemies here, even if it is just turning towards it no matter where they are
  • Should we find ourselves in exile, hear us when we turn towards this Temple to pray
• Hear this prayer and honor it as follow-through on what you said when you brought us out of Egypt nearly 500 years ago

There’s a lot here about making that location a sacred place that will give the Israelites special access to you that they don’t have in other places. Reading this, it reminded me a little of what I know of Muslims turning towards Mecca to pray and do their annual pilgrimage. But the truth is, this Temple would go on to be destroyed. Things come and things go. Sometimes we interpret what you’re telling us incorrectly. But you are always there. You hear us. You wait for us. You forgive us. The Israelites didn’t need a Temple for the 1,000 years between Abraham and this moment, and, in reality, they probably still didn’t. But it gave them a nice big tangible reminder of your provision and love for them and their duty to you.

Father, help me to not need these types of things to bring me to worship of you. Help me to be able to remember on my own how much I need you. I want to be internally driven to you. I’m sorry that sometimes I stray. I am sorry that I can be prone to wander and leave the God I love. But here is my heart, Lord. Take and seal it for your courts above.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Solomon — 1 Kings 8:12-21

Then Solomon prayed, “O Lord, you have said that you would live in a thick cloud of darkness. Now I have built a glorious Temple for you, a place where you can live forever! ” Then the king turned around to the entire community of Israel standing before him and gave this blessing: “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who has kept the promise he made to my father, David. For he told my father, ‘From the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have never chosen a city among any of the tribes of Israel as the place where a Temple should be built to honor my name. But I have chosen David to be king over my people Israel.’” Then Solomon said, “My father, David, wanted to build this Temple to honor the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. But the Lord told him, ‘You wanted to build the Temple to honor my name. Your intention is good, but you are not the one to do it. One of your own sons will build the Temple to honor me.’ “And now the Lord has fulfilled the promise he made, for I have become king in my father’s place, and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised. I have built this Temple to honor the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. And I have prepared a place there for the Ark, which contains the covenant that the Lord made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.”
1 Kings 8:12-21

Dear God, this is an interesting story because while, on the surface, it seems to be telling the people to worship you, by now, Solomon has been king for a number of years, and somehow he turned it all around to be about him being on the throne.

I started this series on Solomon because I wanted to see if I could get a feel for what happened to turn Solomon from a wise king to a mean and ruthless king. I think some seeds of it can be found here. In that culture, I wonder how hard it was to keep down uprisings and rebellions. I wonder if he struggled to be at peace as king and ended up spending more time than he might have expected thinking about holding on to power.

I’ve posed the question before that I wonder what would have happened if the Israelites had never asked for a king but, instead, if David had succeeded Samuel as judge of Israel. If that had happened then there likely would have been no David and Bathsheba, and, therefore, no Solomon, but this whole concept of life being about establishing a dynasty through someone’s lineage seems to be cancerous.

Father, help me to not look to my children’s lives for my validation. Help me to not gain pride for their accomplishments and not take on shame for their failures. Help me to let go of my own pride and how I look in others’ eyes and release my children to walk the path you have for them. Do all of this for your glory.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Solomon — 1 Kings 8:1-11

Solomon then summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes—the leaders of the ancestral families of the Israelites. They were to bring the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant to the Temple from its location in the City of David, also known as Zion. So all the men of Israel assembled before King Solomon at the annual Festival of Shelters, which is held in early autumn in the month of Ethanim. When all the elders of Israel arrived, the priests picked up the Ark. The priests and Levites brought up the Ark of the Lord along with the special tent and all the sacred items that had been in it. There, before the Ark, King Solomon and the entire community of Israel sacrificed so many sheep, goats, and cattle that no one could keep count! Then the priests carried the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant into the inner sanctuary of the Temple—the Most Holy Place—and placed it beneath the wings of the cherubim. The cherubim spread their wings over the Ark, forming a canopy over the Ark and its carrying poles. These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place, which is in front of the Most Holy Place, but not from the outside. They are still there to this day. Nothing was in the Ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Mount Sinai, where the Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel when they left the land of Egypt. When the priests came out of the Holy Place, a thick cloud filled the Temple of the Lord. The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple of the Lord.
1 Kings 8:1-11

Dear God, I started to do this yesterday, but the story of the Ark was so big that I didn’t know where to start. After thinking about it throughout the day, I started to wonder if I had any Ark equivalents in my life.

It is important to note that the Ark wasn’t you. Your presence was with it and you treated it as holy, but it wasn’t to be worshipped. You were. It was also a container that had two 480-year-old stones in it (the 10 Commandments). It also had history. It had journeyed with the people of Israel for a long time. It spent some time captured by the Philistines and you gave them plagues because of it–so many even that they did what it took to get rid of it. You killed people when they revered you, but didn’t revere it. You blessed people when they worshipped you and cared for it. And now Solomon brought it to the temple with proper worship of you and reverence of it.

So is there anything in my life that I carry with me that has a special role of reminding me of you and who you are? I can think of two books–an NIV Study Bible my mother bought me when I was 18 and a copy of My Utmost for His Highest my dad gave me before I went to college. Both have been used a lot over the years, although I’ve predominantly gone digital with them now. But whenever I substitute preach, it’s that big Bible I use from the pulpit. And I’ve given out My Utmost for His Highest as a gift to others who are starting a Christian journey. But I don’t worship these things. They are reminders of my journey with you.

Father, you are to be worshipped and appreciated, and these things should contribute to that process, not substitute for you. Help me to be sensitive to the idea of worshipping you better, and help me to remember to set up altars to remind me of the specific moments you have been good and faithful to me along the way.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Solomon — 1 Kings 7:1, 51

Solomon also built a palace for himself, and it took him thirteen years to complete the construction…So King Solomon finished all his work on the Temple of the Lord. Then he brought all the gifts his father, David, had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the various articles—and he stored them in the treasuries of the Lord ’s Temple.

Dear God, in a time when people didn’t always live a long time, Solomon certainly devoted a lot of time to building his palace. I think of Harry Truman not getting to spend as much of his term in the White House because of renovations. I mean, I’m sure Solomon lived in David’s palace and it was fine, but he delayed his own gratification for a while.

Patience can be such an important thing. I journaled yesterday about the 1,000 years between your promise to Abraham and your temple being built. Time is relative. I am slowly learning these lessons. I have a couple of relatives about whom I’m very concerned. I used to be more wrapped up in why you weren’t answering my prayers for them now, or that no perceived progress from my perspective meant there was no progress being made. But now I’ve slowly started to have faith that you are working beyond what I can see and rest in the peace that I might never see the tangible fruit of progress in my lifetime.

Father, love is patient. That means I not only have to be patient with others, but I have to be patient with you too. Rome wasn’t built in a day. And the best meats are slow-cooked, not microwaved. Please use your consuming fire to accomplish your will, and help me to take my eyes off of my own expectations, and to let them settle upon what you have for me to do today.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen