OUR DAILY BREAD : WHEN LIFE IS TOO BIG

[cimi]

December 9
Wednesday


WHEN LIFE
IS TOO BIG

READ:
1 Kings 3:4-14
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O LORD my God, You
have made Your servant
king instead of my father
David, but I am a little
child; I do not know
how to go out or come
in. 1 Kings 3:7
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As a young man, Jimmy Carter was a junior officer in the US Navy. He was deeply impacted by Admiral Hyman Rickover, the mastermind of the US nuclear submarine fleet.

Shortly after Carter's inauguration as President, he invited Rickover to the White House for lunch, where the admiral presented Carter with a plaque that read, "O, God, Thy sea is so great, and my boat is so small. That prayer is a useful perspective on the size and complexity of life and our inability to manage it on our own.

Solomon too knew that life could be overwhelming. When he succeeded his father, David, as king of Israel, he confessed his weakness to God, saying, "O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in" (1 Kings 3:7). As a result, he asked for the wisdom to lead in a way that would please God and help others (v.9).

Is life feeling too big for you? There may not be easy answers to the challenges you are facing, but God promises that, if you ask for wisdom He will grant it (James 1:5). you don't have to face the overwhelming challenges of life alone. __Bill Crowder
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``````````````````Each day we learn from yesterday``````````````
````````````````````Of God's great love and care;````````````````
```````````````````And every burden we must face```````````````
```````````````He'll surely help us bear. __D. De Haan`````````````
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Recognizing our own smallness can cause us
to embrace God's greatness.

***********Today's Bible Reading __ 1 Kings 3:4-14***************

4 Now the king went to
Gibeon to sacrifice there....

5 At Gibeon the LORD
appeared to Solomon in a
dream by night; and God said,
"Ask! What shall I give you?"

6 And Solomon said: "You
have shown great mercy to
Your servant David my father,
because he walked before
You in truth, in righteousness,
and in uprightness of heart
.... 7 Now, O LORD my God,
You have made Your servant
king instead of my father
David, but I am a little child
....8 And Your servant is in
the midst of Your people
whom You have chosen, a
great people.... 9 Therefore
give to Your servant an
understanding heart to judge
Your people, that I may
discern between good and
evil...."

10 The speech pleased the
LORD, that Solomon had
asked this thing. 11 then God
said to him: "Because you
have asked this thing, and
have not asked long life for
yourself, nor have asked
riches for yourself, nor have
asked the life of your
enemies, but have asked for
yourself understanding to
discern justice, 12 behold, I
have done according to your
words; see, I have given you
a wise and understanding
heart, so that there has not
been anyone like you before
you, nor shall any like you
arise after you. 13 And I have
also given you what you have
not asked: both riches and
honor.... 14 So if you walk
in My ways, to keep My
statutes and My
commandments, as your
father David walked, then I
will lengthen your days."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The Bible Knowledge Commentary tells us: "In the Hebrew Old
Testament, 1 and 2 Kings were one book and were regarded as a
continuation of the historical narrative begun in 1 and 2 Samuel."
__BILL CROWDER