Passage Read: 1 Kings 6-9
Meditation Verses: 9:3-8
Thought
God agrees to put His Name forever and to fix His eyes and heart perpetually on the house that Solomon built for Him. But He makes clear that His promise is conditioned on the obedience of the people, just as His promise to David is conditioned on the obedience of David's sons. He will not protect and bless people who refuse to honor Him. In order to inherit the promise and keep it going, each generation and each son must choose whether or not to submit to and honor the Lord. They enjoy grace and favor because of the father and the generation before, but if they abuse that grace, the Lord will withdraw His favor from them. In that grace, the Lord will bring discipline and prophets to warn, rebuke and call the people to repentance, but if they spurn the Lord long enough, both the house and the throne will be cast aside and destroyed. Until He comes who is both king and priest and who lives forever to do the Lord's will.
Application
Far be it from God to reward those who hate Him. Having a house of God I frequent or having His Name on me or being baptized into His Name or circumcision or any other outward marking or sign on me is no eternal promise of salvation, but believing in Him and fearing Him so as to honor Him in all I do, this alone is assurance of salvation. That's not salvation by works or beginning by faith and continuing by works; that's true faith that brings genuine salvation. God's not impressed by a few moments of honor within a lifetime of self gratification. He's looking for worshipers who worship in spirit and in truth. I honor the Lord when my whole life--how I live and work and think and speak and make decisions and what I pursue--shows I love and fear the Lord. And that's real salvation.