Windows in Heaven

*Deuteronomy 28:12-14, "The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them: And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them."

It has been said that there are two things in this world that we should not worry about. Those two things are yesterday and tomorrow. Don't worry about these two things because yesterday is gone and tomorrow is in the future. Today, at this present time, in the here and now, is what counts. Today is the time in which we live. The time in which our lives blossom. It is the time when the choices we consider and the decisions we make affect our tomorrow. The present is what affects our lives and the lives of those around us for generations to come.

Charles Dickens was an English writer whose stories revolved around events that happened and people he had known during his life. One of those stories is a well known Christmas classic entitled "A Christmas Carol." There are not many people in this world who have not seen or heard the story of Ebenezer Scrooge. He was a man who was visited by three apparitions - the ghost of Christmas past, present, and future. These apparitions depicted the images of his life past, present, and future.

Ebenezer's past was full of hope, tossed about by the circumstances of his life, and shrouded with his ambition and the greed that would eventually consume him. The present, however, depicted a life of wealth that was to be celebrated. Elevated to a lofty position surrounded by all the desires of his heart. Yet, within his robes he concealed a most hideous site. Two children called "ignorance and want" that had the appearance of famine and fear on their faces. The future, which was yet to come, looked dark and foreboding - an eternity of repentance.

When David drew close to the day of his death he charged Solomon his son, saying, "I go the way of all the earth: be strong therefore, and show yourself a man. Keep the charge of the LORD your God to walk in his ways. Keep his statutes, his commandments, his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all that you do and where ever you go. So that the LORD may continue his word which he spoke concerning me saying, 'If your children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you a man on the throne of Israel,' " (*I Kings 2:-2-4). So David died and Solomon reigned in his place.

When Solomon went to Gibeon to sacrifice to the Lord, God appeared to Solomon in a dream and asked him what he wanted. Solomon replied, "You have shown your servant David, my father, great mercy, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart. You have kept for him this great kindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne. Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of David my father. I am but a little child I do not know how to go out or come in. Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen. A great people that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge this many people?"

His speech pleased the LORD and God said to him, "Because you have asked this and have not asked for yourself long life, neither riches nor the life of your enemies; but asked for understanding to discern judgment, behold, I have done according to your words. I have given you a wise and an understanding heart. There will be no one like you before you neither after you shall any arise. I have also given you what you did not ask, both riches and honor. There shall not be any among the kings like you all your days. If you will walk in My ways, keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David did, then I will lengthen your days."

So Solomon's wisdom exceeded the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than all men and his fame was in all the nations around Israel. He spoke three-thousand proverbs and one-thousand, five songs. All people came to hear the wisdom of Solomon from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom (*I Kings 4:30-34).

The scriptures tell us that Solomon went to the king of Egypt and made affinity with him and took his daughter for his wife who became the queen of Israel. In I Kings 3:1 the word "affinity" means marriage in Hebrew. Solomon made a covenant or compact with Egypt. With the help of Egypt he further established his kingdom and made the nations around them pay tribute building his empire and filling his treasuries with their wealth. "And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life," (*I Kings 4:21).

So Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter to the city of David until he finished building his house and the house of the Lord. In the fourth year of his reign he began building the temple of the Lord. It took seven years to complete the temple and thirteen years to complete his own house. "Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold, Beside that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffick of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country," (*I Kings 10:14-15).

When the temple was finished the Lord came to him a second time and said, "If you will walk before me, as David your father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you. If you keep My statutes and My judgments then I will establish the throne of your kingdom upon Israel for ever as I promised David your father. But if you turn from following me, you or your children, and will not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them, then I will cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them and this house, which I have hallowed for My name, will I cast out of My sight. Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people. This house, which is high, every one that passes by it shall be astonished and shall hiss. They shall say, Why has the LORD done this to this land and to this house? They shall answer, "Because they left the LORD their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt. They have turned to other gods and have worshipped and served them. Therefore, the LORD has brought all this evil upon them," (*I Kings 9:1-9).

*I Kings 10:23-29, "So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year. And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem. And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance. And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price. And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means."

But king Solomon loved many strange women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh. Women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites. The nations which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, "You shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in to you. For surely they will turn away your heart after their gods." Solomon joined himself to them in love. He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines. When Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart to other gods. His heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not walk after the LORD as his father did.

Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. He did the same for all his strange wives which burnt incense and sacrificed to their gods. The LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from Him. He had appeared to him twice and had commanded him that he should not go after other gods. But he did not do what the LORD commanded. Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, "Because you have done this and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely take the kingdom from you and give it to your servant. Notwithstanding I will not do it during your life for David your father's sake but I will take it out of the hand of your son. However, I will not take away all the kingdom but will give one tribe to your son for David My servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen," I Kings 11:1-14. So the LORD stirred up an adversary for Solomon, Hadad the Edomite.

Solomon's life, as recorded in I Kings and II Chronicles, was one of great success. His wisdom and wealth exceeded all the kings who ever reigned upon the earth but concealed within his flesh was the blight of "ignorance and want." Solomon was a man made of flesh, and, although he lived under the Law, he was still under the influence of sinful flesh.

Solomon arrived at the greatest place of honor accomplished in history only because of the love and mercy of God. Because God loved him he achieved more than any king had or ever will in this world. In the end he chose to turn away from the Lord and served the gods of the nations that he ruled over. He did not command his children to follow the Lord as his father David had charged him. Solomon forgot the LORD his God was his Master, King of the universe, Who sets ups kings and kingdoms and establishes rulers of men.

There are many who live their lives in ignorance much to their want. The careers they choose often become their lives causing their families to live in estrangement. In a sense, they become married to their jobs. Their careers become a "strange wife" leading them to the gods of this world - money, gifts, prestige, and power.

We live in a world where children come home to an empty house and a microwave. Instead of parents watching their children grow up and growing with them they now have to find "quality time" to share. Children are sent to the best "learning centers" where they can be taught how to spell and read before learning to tie their shoes. Schools teach them that there are no absolutes in this life, therefore any religion and any lifestyle is acceptable.

The world has become a generation that is accountable to no one; therefore, there are no consequences for their actions. They have no knowledge of faithfulness; therefore, their relationships lack commitment. They want because of ignorance for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. When we take God out of the lives of this generation today the generation of tomorrow has nothing to look forward to but the future that awaited Ebenezer Scrooge - an eternity of repentance.

Ignorance is the state of being ignorant. Webster's definition of ignorant is; destitute of knowledge or education, lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified, resulting from or showing lack of knowledge or intelligence, unaware, uninformed. *Hosea 4 tells us, "My people are destroyed (want) for lack of knowledge." Why? Because there is no knowledge of God in the land. And because of this there is no faithfulness or kindness. There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed.

Solomon's disobedience to God's instructions brought a nation to the brink of destruction. The nation became divided and one king after another followed in his footsteps of serving other gods. The kingdom that he increased by his wisdom was destroyed and his people became vagabonds in a land that their fathers never knew. The temple of God was destroyed and all the treasures of the house of the Lord, David's and Solomon's house, were taken to Babylon. Their riches were made to form strange idols and gods of another land and to be used as a mockery to shame the name of their God.

The proverbs of Solomon tell us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdom and instruction. When we place God first, seeking His kingdom and His righteousness all that we have need of will be provided for today. When we allow Jesus Christ to be Lord of our lives yesterday is gone. We have no need to worry about tomorrow because the Lord has already prepared for it. Allow the Lord to breathe into you a new life by accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow, and forever.

Always look for what's best around you. Find the beauty and strength in small things every day. Then look for it in yourself. Know that you have value and worth immeasurable. Believe in yourself, love yourself and trust yourself; but above all have Faith and Trust in God. These are the keys. Use them and never, ever give up.

Life is like a winding path surrounded by flowers, butterflies, and delicious fruit, but many of us spend much of life looking for happiness around the next corner. We do not bend to enjoy the happiness which is ours for the taking right at our feet. Only real joy and peace can come from within our own heart.

In our desire to reach the pot of gold, the complete and lasting happiness we all want to fill our lives with, we ignore anything which doesn't seem worthy of such a large ambition, or which can't give us the whole thing all at once. Always remember, everyday is a new beginning, and we should be content with all the beauty that surrounds us. It's not about how much money we have or don't have, but it's what we do with it that counts.

Yesterday is gone forever; tomorrow never comes; thus all we ever have or will have is this new day that God has given us. The serenity, tranquility, and peace within our minds and souls, can only come from God himself and brings out the best of all those around us. Happiness is all around, but it often comes in small grains. When we gather it grain by grain, we soon have a basketful.

~unknown~

P Are you living a life of victory or a life of defeat? God never promised us our life would be perfect but He did promise that He would never leave us nor forsake us.