Where Hope Lives

1 Kings 8:31-40 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 8:31-40.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 8:31-40 (NIV)
³¹  “When a man wrongs his neighbor and is required to take an oath and he comes and swears the oath before your altar in this temple,
³²  then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty and bringing down on his own head what he has done. Declare the innocent not guilty, and so establish his innocence.
³³  “When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and confess your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple,
³⁴  then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their fathers.
³⁵  “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them,
³⁶  then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.
³⁷  “When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come,
³⁸  and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel–each one aware of the afflictions of his own heart, and spreading out his hands toward this temple–
³⁹  then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of all men),
⁴⁰  so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our fathers.

On verses 31-40:  Here Solomon prays that when people in Israel encounter various problems — whether it’s having wronged a neighbour (v31), being defeated by an enemy (v33), suffering from famine (v35) or some other form of disaster or disease (v37) — they will find hope, healing, and help whenever they prayed to God “in this temple” (v31, 33) or even “toward this temple” (v35, 39).  He prays that in each of these cases God would “hear from heaven” (v32, 34, 36, 39, and repeated three more times from verses 41 to 53) and respond with His help and forgiveness.

Solomon’s vision was that the temple would become a focal point in the spiritual lives of his people.  He envisioned the temple being like an intersection where ordinary people could meet God’s extraordinary hope whenever they prayed in the temple or toward it.

That is also Jesus’ heart for the church today, that the church would be the place where ordinary people can access God’s extraordinary hope.  Please pray with me that THRIVE Church and every church in the city where you live would be just like that, that hurting people could come to us the church and find hope, healing and help from God, no matter what problem they may be facing.  May people’s experience with our church be the same as Jacob in Genesis 28:17 when he said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”

Father, thank You for reminding us in today’s Word that the church is not merely a social club, but a place where the broken and hurting from all walks of life can find hope, healing and help from You.  I pray that people will meet Your presence, power and provision when they get close to Your church, Your people.  May the people in Your Church be an intersection where ordinary people meet extraordinary hope.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!