2nd Chronicles chapter 9. Storing up for God or for self.
BEING A BLESSING FOR JESUS!!!.
There was no one greater than King Solomon and his possessions were great and his wisdom exceeded beyond anyone else. It's hard to imagine being blessed so much with all the wisdom and possessions. I feel today Christians would be very judgmental and would question King Solomon”s Faith because he was so rich and there are so much people hurting and in need in the world today.
The question for me is how do we use the blessings God has bestowed upon us? Is it for our Glory or for God's glory?
Whether a person is a billionaire or only has $1, how is this person using it for God's glory?
A person owns a boat, 10 homes, 6 cars and 10 four wheelers or a person who has nothing to his name but a shack to live in, how are they using it for God's glory?
If what I have been blessed with is not being used for God's glory, then I need to change my heart and attitude.
If God has blessed me with it then Gods able to use it for his glory. But it takes us surrendering daily our possessions and wisdom to the Lord. If we don't, then we are in danger of hoarding the possessions and wisdom and striving to glorify self.
Lord, I surrender my wisdom, however much it is, and all my possessions, however much it is, to you and say please use it for your glory and impact lives for you.
Some verses I thought of dealing with those who strive for Self Glory versus God's Glory are:
1. Matthew 16:26-27 What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and yet lose his soul?
2. Luke 16:29-31 This passage is about the rich man who had so much but was judged by God because he neglected the poor man.
3. Luke 12:16-21 This passage speaks of a rich man who was all about storing up treasures for himself and God called him a fool. God's judgment came and the Lord says this will happen to all who store up things for self and are not rich toward God.
In reality, this could happen to any of us. A rich or poor person can have this attitude. We all need to be aware of our hearts and if we are truly surrendering our hearts daily to the Lord so he can use us and our possessions however he wants to.
The queen of Sheba came to see Solomon and she was quite impressed with him and what he had. We read in verse 9 about how she gave even more to him. The blessings just kept overflowing for Solomon. This made me think of what we read about in Mark 4:24-25.
And He (Jesus) said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
As Pastor Blair already pointed out today, may we be aware of our hearts and have the right attitude to be fully surrendered to the Lord so He can use us and any possessions for His glory.