7th Dec

2 Chronicles 6     Habakkuk 2     2 John 1     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

Solomon starts by reminding the assembled people of how until now God had not wanted to have a temple built for Him until He had settled the children of Israel.  But God was now fulfilling His promise to David as God had chosen both a leader for Israel and a city for His temple.  And as we read in the previous chapter, because the temple had been built when and where God wanted it, God had filled the temple with glory.  There follows a long prayer which uses examples of security, drought, famine and captivity to express the basic heartfelt request that when God's people repent of their sin, God will hear them, forgive and restore them.  And when they pray He will uphold their cause.

This should be our prayer.  As individuals and as a Church there will be times when we depart from God's plan, and we too will need to turn back to God, repent and ask for his forgiveness and restoration.  Until we repent we find ourselves in the wrong place as described in this chapter.  But when we pray, then that opens channels for God's goodness and love to flow.  Then we return to the intimate relationship with Him that we see so graphically shown in this time of dedication.  The people all together, and God covering them all in his glory.  Perfection.

(member of Christ Church congregation)

6th Dec

2 Chronicles 5     Habakkuk 1     1 John 5     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

The temple building project comes to an end.  The contractors go, and the dedication starts.  It is hard to imagine just how excited people must have felt as the long awaited building of the temple reached its climax.  God's people had waited years for this, and now the ark of the Lord's covenant is brought in by the Levites to take its central place in the temple.  There follows an astonishing act of song, joy, and music as they praise and thank God.  And God confirms his delight by filling the temple with His presence, a presence so powerful and glorious that the priests could not perform their service.

This happy state was reached because God's will was being worked in God's way with God's timing.  What does this tell us as a church?  Can we envisage services of the type described here?  Can we experience in our personal lives a sense of purpose, joy and praise that we read of here?  It offers a foretaste of heaven, and yet there seems no reason why we too cannot experience something similar as a body and as individuals if we are on God's pathway, enjoying His company and following His will.

(member of Christ Church congregation)