Quiet Walk

[Judy Harder]

May 30

2 Samuel 11

David commits adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his loyal commanders.

INSIGHT

There is greater pain in sin than in righteousness. David clearly loves Bathsheba. Certainly, it would have pained him had he turned his heart away from her before having relations with her. But that pain is nothing compared to the pain he brings on himself and others by taking her as his own. Adultery, murder, the death of their child, the loss of respect, and the memory of the guilt were some of the results of his sin.

It is sometimes painful to do the right thing, but it is always more painful to do the wrong thing.

PRAYER

· Praise the Lord because He fulfills our lives by giving us talents and abilities to develop:

Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 150:1-3, 6).

· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:

I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me (Jeremiah 33:.

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord
(Lamentations 3:25-26).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

· your development of an eternal perspective,
· your personal spiritual goals,
· your activities for the day.

· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 1:4).

[Judy Harder]

May 31

2 Samuel 12

The prophet Nathan openly rebukes David and stirs him to repent.

INSIGHT

When Nathan comes to accuse David of adultery and murder, it is well within David's power to shout: "Off with his head!" But David does not issue that order. Instead, his heart breaks. The horror and magnitude of his sin is incalculable, but it is to David's credit that he immediately repents. Rather than resisting repentance because we feel we don't deserve forgiveness, we should do as David did-repent that very instant.

PRAYER

· Give praise and thanks to the Lord for giving us victory over the world:

Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You. . . .
The Lord is the true God;
He is the living God and the everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble,
And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation
(Jeremiah 10:6-7, 10).

· Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:

You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:5-6).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:

"If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

· greater personal discipline,
· persecuted Christians worldwide,
· your activities for the day.

· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:

May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).

[Judy Harder]

June 1

1 Kings 1

The prophet Nathan and Bathsheba join forces to ensure that Solomon replaces David as king.

INSIGHT

As Adonijah, David's oldest living son, takes steps to become king, only Bathsheba and Nathan know of David's desire that Solomon succeed him.

Circumstances seem grim to Bathsheba. Should Adonijah become king, she and Solomon most probably would lose their lives, being seen as threats to the throne. Yet it is God who establishes kings, and His will is that Solomon reign. Again God demonstrates that He is in control-in spite of the foreboding circumstances.

As we consider the perplexing nature of circumstances in the world, we are tempted to lose heart, perhaps to question whether God is really in control. We should be reminded from this passage that He is. Whatever comes our way, the hand of God is there to see us through. It is something we must believe.

PRAYER

· As you continue your time with the Lord, offer this praise to Him:

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works. . . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You
(Psalm 9:1, 9-10).

· Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:

"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm
(Joel 2:12-13).

· The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

· greater sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your local church,
· your activities for the day.

· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace"
(Numbers 6:24-26).

[Judy Harder]

June 2

1 Kings 2

David charges Solomon with the urgency of living for the Lord.


INSIGHT

Parts of the Old Testament tax our understanding and our acceptance.

First, we do not understand much about Judaism, the Law, and Old Testament

culture and customs. Second, many of the events are violations of God's desires-though that is not explained to us. And finally, God deals with men differently in the Old Testament than in the New Testament.

While not all things are easily explained, in chapter 2, Solomon takes vengeance only upon all those people who had already committed acts that were punishable by death. This doesn't answer every problem we might have with this difficult chapter, but it is a beginning.

PRAYER

· The Lord will guard and care for those who want to follow Him with their whole heart:

I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears
(Psalm 34:1-4).

· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:

The Lord answered Job, and said:
"Shall the one who contends with the
Almighty correct Him?
He who rebukes God, let him answer it."
Then Job answered the Lord and said:
"Behold, I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
I lay my hand over my mouth"
(Job 40:1-4).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:

"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him" (John 6:27).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

· a friend to believe in Christ,
· greater understanding and love for God's Word,
· whatever else is on your heart.

· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:

We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come,

Because You have taken Your great power and reigned (Revelation 11:17).

[Judy Harder]

June 3

1 Kings 1

God grants Solomon wisdom.

INSIGHT

Solomon's heart is manifested by the purity of his prayer. He could have asked for a long life; he could have asked for riches and honor. But instead Solomon asks simply for wisdom. What an honest and unselfish prayer.

Being honest with God is not as easy as we might think. We all tend to live life with masks on-behind which the real "us" hides-to make a better impression on people.

How foolish! God sees behind the mask-as do most people. We can learn from Solomon. God is pleased with honest, transparent prayers.

PRAYER

· Offer your praise to the Lord for His wisdom to all generations of those who love Him:

Thus says the Lord:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight," says the Lord
(Jeremiah 9:23-24).

· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:

Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer
(Psalm 19:12-14).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the all-wise Lord:

In you, O Christ, are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (based on Colossians 2:3).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

· greater wisdom in your daily life,
· wisdom for political leaders,
· your activities for the day.

· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:

To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).

[Judy Harder]

June 4
1 Kings 4

Solomon's fame spreads throughout the world.

INSIGHT

To understand the significance of Solomon's wealth, power, and wisdom, we must go back to Deuteronomy 28, where God outlined the consequences for Israel's obedience and disobedience. During the latter part of David's reign and the early part of Solomon's reign, Israel follows the Lord in righteousness for a longer period of time than any other. The results are a greater blessing than at any other time in Israel's history.

It is a glaring and tragic reality that shortly after Solomon's reign, Israel follows her kings in unrighteousness, and the curses in Deuteronomy begin to come about. The welfare of Israel is always related to her righteousness.

PRAYER

· Offer your praise to the Lord who is holy and in whose holiness we can share:

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33).

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

· Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit
(Psalm 32:1-2).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:

I have trusted in Your mercy;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me
(Psalm 13:5-6).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

· greater love for fellow Christians,
· mission work in Europe and Asia,
· whatever else is on your heart.

· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord :

Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
(Psalm 31:24).

[Judy Harder]

June 5

1 Kings 5

Solomon forms an alliance with Hiram for help in building the temple.

INSIGHT

Known as a fair, just, and righteous man, David builds an excellent reputation with noble neighboring leaders. Hiram and David establish their friendship early in David's reign (2 Samuel 5:11), and 1 Kings 5:1 states: "Hiram had always loved David."

It is perhaps David's reputation that prompts Solomon to write in Proverbs 22:1: "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches." Each of us must take this Scripture to heart and dedicate ourselves to the development of a spotless reputation by being fair, just, and righteous and by being utterly true to our word.

PRAYER

· Offer praise to the Lord whose reputation we share when we live for Him:

Ah, Lord God! . . . There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them-the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 32:17-19).

· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:

Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression
(Psalm 19:12-13).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:

"My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts"
(Isaiah 55:8-9).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

· greater faithfulness with your time,
· the president and national leaders,
· your activities for the day.

· Finally, offer this closing prayer:

Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14).

[Judy Harder]

June 6

1 Kings 6

Solomon oversees the temple construction, making it a work of art glorifying God.

INSIGHT

The temple that Solomon builds for the Lord is spectacular. The stonework is magnificent; the tapestry work is glorious; and nearly everything inside is overlaid with gold.

Why such opulence? Because the temple is to be a physical representation of the beauty and glory of God. One is supposed to be able to look at the temple and be reminded of the beauty of God. It is not beauty for beauty's sake, but for the glory of the God of beauty.

PRAYER

· Offer God your praise in the words of this Scripture:

Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him
(Daniel 2:20-22).

· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:

I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:16-17).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

· greater wisdom for living,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· whatever else is on your heart.

· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer
(Psalm 19:13-14).

[Judy Harder]

June 7

1 Kings 7

King Hiram of Tyre supplies artisans and craftsmen to finalize the glorious temple.

INSIGHT

Not only is the work of the temple designed to reflect the splendor and glory of God, but also the layout of the temple is designed to reflect His work in atoning for our sin. The bronze laver, the candlesticks, the tables of showbread, the Holy of Holies-all are designed to picture for us the atoning work of Christ. All this is in keeping with what Paul wrote in Romans 15:4: "Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."

PRAYER

· The Lord knows us totally and loves us completely, and for this we offer Him our praise:

Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation" (Luke 1:46-50).

· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:

Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:

"I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep" (John 10:9-11).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

· greater insight into Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.

· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).

[Judy Harder]

June 8

1 Kings 8

Solomon leads the people into a grand dedication ceremony for the new temple.

INSIGHT

The phenomenal blessings that God pours out on Israel have a purpose beyond merely blessing them. In fact, God wants other nations to see His favor on Israel and desire to know Him because of what they witness in the lives of His people.

This truth is reflected when Solomon prays that "the Lord our God be with us . . . [so] that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other" (vv. 57, 60). David understands this principle also when he writes in Psalm 67:7: "God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him." And today God wants to bless us spiritually that others may see Christ in us and be drawn to Him.

PRAYER

· Praise the Lord who blesses us that we might draw others to Him because of His mark in our lives:

"You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created"
(Revelation 4:11).

I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the
Lord Most High
(Psalm 7:17).

· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and its effects:

Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you
(Deuteronomy 32:18).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the work of specific Christian ministries,
· whatever else is on your heart.

· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands
(Psalm 90:17).