Corona Devo 973

We strive in so many ways to please God.  

Strive: to make great efforts to achieve or obtain something/ struggle or fight vigorously (Oxford Languages Dictionary).

We strive in so many ways to please God, but He is most honored when we step beyond all of our "efforts" and into full and committed praise of Him.  That offering is most golden to our God.  

When and if we can personally come to Him, and join others in "raising our voices and praising the Lord" (whatever that looks like in our lives today) ...then the glorious presence of the Lord will fill our lives.

~~~

King Solomon (and his dad, David) had spared no expense in constructing an ornate, lavish, extensive Temple to honor the Lord.  

And they should have.  God is worthy.  More than worthy of every effort, service, penny, gold-bar and tithe that we could ever offer Him. God gave us all that we have and are, and He is worthy of every effort we make to honor Him.  

But He is most honored when we step beyond all of our "efforts" and into full and committed praise of Him.  

It was not the value of the items used in Solomon's Temple that most honored God, although there were many and much items (gold!) of earthly value: 

• The entry room at the front of the Temple was 30 feet wide... He overlaid the inside with pure gold.  ~II Chronicles 3:4
• He paneled the main room of the Temple with cypress wood, overlaid it with fine gold, and decorated it with carvings of palm trees and chains.  ~II Chronicles 3:5
• He decorated the walls of the Temple with beautiful jewels and with gold from the land of Parvaim.  ~II Chronicles 3:6 
• He overlaid the beams, thresholds, walls, and doors throughout the Temple with gold, and he carved figures of cherubim on the walls.  ~II Chronicles 3:7
• He made the Most Holy Place 30 feet wide...and 30 feet deep. He overlaid its interior with 23 tons of fine gold.  ~II Chronicles 3:8
• The gold nails that were used weighed 20 ounces each. He also overlaid the walls of the upper rooms with gold.  ~II Chronicles 3:9
• He made two figures shaped like cherubim, overlaid them with gold, and placed them in the Most Holy Place. (11) The total wingspan of the two cherubim standing side by side was 30 feet.  ~II Chronicles 3:10-11
• Solomon also made all the furnishings for the Temple of God:  
• the gold altar; the tables for the Bread of the Presence; 
• (20) the lampstands and their lamps of solid gold, to burn in front of the Most Holy Place as prescribed; 
• (21) the flower decorations, lamps, and tongs—all of the purest gold; 
• (22) the lamp snuffers, bowls, ladles, and incense burners—all of solid gold; the doors for the entrances to the Most Holy Place and the main room of the Temple, overlaid with gold.  ~II Chronicles 4:19-22
• So 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 Temple of God.  ~II Chronicles 5:1

That's a lot of gold, Y'all!  That is a lot of self-funding, savings, efforts, dedications, and offerings that Solomon gave on behalf of himself and the Israelites.  And the Lord was honored by the construction and intention of the Temple.

But keep reading to see what "capped" it for the Lord...What made their efforts an offering, and what caused the Lord to (literally) come down and be in the presence of his people.   

Here's a hint, it had nothing to do with gold, because although we strive in so many ways to please God, He is most honored when we step beyond all of our "efforts" and into full and committed praise of Him.  That offering is most golden to our God.  

~~~

Solomon then summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel and all the heads of tribes—the leaders of the ancestral families of Israel... (3) So all the men of Israel assembled before the king at the annual Festival of Shelters, which is held in early autumn.  

(11) ...All the priests who were present had purified themselves, whether or not they were on duty that day. (12) And the Levites who were musicians... were dressed in fine linen robes and stood at the east side of the altar playing cymbals, lyres, and harps. They were joined by 120 priests who were playing trumpets. (13) The trumpeters and singers performed together in unison to praise and give thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they raised their voices and praised the Lord with these words: “He is good!  His faithful love endures forever!”  

At that moment a thick cloud filled the Temple of the Lord. (14) The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple of God.

~II Chronicles 5:2-3, 11-14

~~~

Do you see?

Can we grasp what kind of offering of ours is golden to our God?  t

Not  o G 

Not the striving.  Not the "gold" gifts and services that we strive, strive, strive (make great efforts to achieve or obtain /struggle or fight vigorously) to do, do, do.  

We strive in so many ways to please God, but He is most honored when we step beyond all of our "efforts" and into full and committed praise of Him.  That offering is most golden to our God.  

When and if we can personally come to Him, and join others in "raising our voices and praising the Lord" (whatever that looks like in our lives today) ...then the glorious presence of the Lord will fill our lives.

Now that's golden.

At that moment a thick cloud filled the Temple of the Lord. (14) The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple of God.

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com