We have been divinely blessed by the Lord. As we go about our day, let’s not forget to give thanks to the Lord for all He has done. Give glory and honor to Him for who He is for our God is the Good Shepherd who watches over us.
Linda Agnes Knowles
King Rehoboam, King Solomon’s son, has flipped my brain inside out and upside down as I have been studying his life for the last two days. Each verse got more interesting, but what King Rehoboam did scared the living daylights out of me.
“And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord, With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians. And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.” (2 Chronicles 12:1-4KJV)
I shook my head as I read this passage of Scripture. It’s a little unnerving. First thing to note is that in this particular verse Israel is in reference to Judah. Second thing to note is King Rehoboam was very high in popularity at this time. Not only was he popular but he had also made an attempt to serve God. The Results: Judah prospered. We find this evidence in 2 Chronicles 11:17 (KJV), which states, “This strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for during those years they faithfully followed in the footsteps of David and Solomon.”
Rehoboam had success and was enjoying a time of blessing. He and his kingdom were firmly established and made strong. He was at the highest point in popularity and in power. Then, we see a tragic turn of events. In the time of blessing, Rehoboam “…forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.” King Rehoboam committed two major sins: (1) He forsook the law of the Lord, and (2) He caused all Israel to sin because they followed his lead. We can see Rehoboam’s sin didn’t just affect him; it affected all Israel. When you are a leader, it is inevitable that people will follow you. They look at your example, and eventually, you will see them modeling what you have modeled for them. Any leadership role you play, you are held with a higher level of accountability by God. How you lead those who follow your example will affect your standing in the eyes of God. In this case, Israel took its leadership from Rehoboam and the whole nation forsook God’s law; they forgot about God and abandoned him.
There were consequences to them forsaking and abandoning God and His law. We can see the results of their sin in verses 3-5 (KJV), which states, “With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians. And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem. Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.”
I think it’s safe to say God has His limits. This verse, “…Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.” I looked up the word “forsake” in the Hebrew Language. The Hebrew word is “azab” which means “to loosen, to relinquish, to permit.” When we decide to forsake or abandon God, we are letting go, giving up on God; when we decide to forsake or abandon God, we are voluntarily surrendering our claim to God being the One we follow. There does come a time when God has had enough. We don’t like being ignored or disrespected or pushed aside. Can you imagine how God feels when we ignore, disrespect, or push Him aside? He is your Creator, who has given you life. It is not wise to push God aside or show Him any kind of disdain or indifference toward Him especially when God has lavished you with mercy and grace and has poured out His blessings upon you.
King Rehoboam and the people repented, and God saw the change of heart. Sounds good, right? Forgiveness doesn’t mean you will NOT suffer the consequences. The consequences may not be as severe as they would have been if you didn’t repent. Let’s look at verses 7-8 (KJV), which states, “And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.” What was their consequences for forsaking God and His law? They would end up the servants to Shishak, King of Egypt. By being the servants to Shishak, they would learn and know what it is like to be ruled by a man rather than being ruled by God. The NLT phrases verse 8, this way, “But they will become his subjects, so they will know the difference between serving me and serving earthly rulers.” Need I say more on that?
Shishak attacked Jerusalem and ransacked the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple as well as the palace. Then, the gold shields which were made by King Solomon were stolen. God didn’t spare Rehoboam, a king, from the consequences of his choices. Do you think he would allow any of us to escape the consequences of our own individual actions and choices? The problem is when you make something else the lord of your life, you become a slave to that object. When you make a person the lord of your life, you become a slave to that person. Whatever consumes you is what you are a slave to.
GOD DOES NOT AND WILL NOT SHARE HIS GLORY WITH ANOTHER. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit will not share the same temple with another object or another person. If you are backslidden, lukewarm, complacent, or lost God as your First Love, then you, being the temple of the Holy Spirit, will no longer be experiencing the Glory of God. You, whom the Holy Spirit once resided in, will be Ichabod, meaning “The glory has departed from Israel.” Do NOT grieve the Holy Spirit. If you find yourself in any of these conditions, I strongly encourage you to repent and make things right with God.
CAN YOU DUPLICATE OR SUBSTITUTE ANYTHING FOR THE GLORY OF GOD? NO, NEVER, CAN’T HAPPEN, IMPOSSIBLE. Sure, you can try. King Rehoboam tried to. Look at verse 10-11, which states, “King Rehoboam later replaced them with bronze shields as substitutes, and he entrusted them to the care of the commanders of the guard who protected the entrance to the royal palace. Whenever the king went to the Temple of the Lord, the guards would also take the shields and then return them to the guardroom.”
I make no apologies for finding what Rehoboam did to be foolish. He was trying to keep the former glory of the temple by using substitutes. “King Rehoboam later replaced them with bronze shields as substitutes, and he entrusted them to the care of the commanders of the guard who protected the entrance to the royal palace…” He tried to keep the original appearance of the glory of the temple. Rehoboam had the guards protecting bronze shields which were cheap, shoddy, and inexpensive. He had substitutes to keep up the appearance of the former glory. The temple no longer demonstrated a genuine display of the glory of the Temple, but it only gave a FAKE appearance of the former glory of the temple. Remember everything was stolen from the temple. Now all Rehoboam could use was substitutes.
When you are no longer for God, when you are backslidden, when you are not in right relationship with God, if you have forsaken God, then the glory of God is not seen in you. You can put on a performance or even display a picture of perfection, but that fact is, when you are FAKING, the fake display you are putting on will lack intensity, clarity, vividness, and the brightness that only the true glory of God has. YOU CANNOT DUPLICATE THE GLORY OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE JUST LIKE REHOBOAM COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FORMER GLORY OF THE TEMPLE. Just because you put on a picture of perfection does NOT mean that God is going to accept you and your behavior. Nothing you do will substitute the presence and glory of God in your life. Either you are for God or against Him. You are either serving God or not. Nothing can replace God and His glory shining in your life.
The way Rehoboam ended his reign and his life was in a very sad state, “But he was an evil king, for he did not seek the LORD with all his heart.”
We can all learn from Rehoboam. First, when you go through good times and times of blessings, guard your heart. Hold your faith closely, and cling to God. Cling to the truths of God. Second, when you repent and humble yourself before God, He will NOT reject a broken spirit and a repentant heart. Third, be steadfast in your love for God and make your face like flint determined to do His will.
As we live life, let us live in such a way before God, that when we stand before Him to give an account for how we lived our lives, we will hear the words, “Well done, My Good and Faithful Servant.
Much Love To You All,
Linda A. Knowles
“Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, O God of Jacob.” -Psalm 24:3-6 (Berean Study Bible)
“O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks with integrity and practices righteousness, who speaks the truth from his heart, who has no slander on his tongue, who does no harm to his neighbor, who casts no scorn on his friend, who despises the vile but honors those who fear the LORD, who does not revise a costly oath, who lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.” -Psalm 15:1-5 (Berean Study Bible)
ABBA, let me climb Your holy hills because that is where You are, and help me to know right from wrong, to keep my hands clean and my heart pure before You. LORD, I need to hear Your voice, to receive Your instruction and counsel, to learn Your ways, to know Your Word and Your commands. LORD, Your will is all that matters and Your righteousness is what I seek. There is no other god before You, and nothing compares to You for You are glorious, arrayed with splendor and majesty. Let me climb Your holy hills, LORD, where you dwell, and make my feet like the deer so I am able to climb these mountain heights. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Linda A. Knowles
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” -Philippians 4:13 (KJV)
Learn to develop a thankful heart and let the fruit of your lips be praise to the Lord Most High. He is worthy of all praise, and we are told in the Word of God to give thanks at all times. Find something to thank God for because God is faithful and He is worthy of all glory.
“Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” -1 Thessalonians 5:18BSB
Linda A. Knowles
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
…Always.
Remembering the death of Christ is not just for one day.
As children of the Most High God, we remember daily the death AND the resurrection of Christ. His death, burial, and resurrection are essential to the Christian faith. Through the shedding of Christ’s blood, we have have forgiveness of sin. He was wounded for our transgressions and He was bruised for our iniquities. Because of His death, we are healed, saved, and delivered. “Surely He took on our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken by God, struck down and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed,” (Isaiah 53:4-5BSB).
Praise the Lord that we have been redeemed. He is our Risen Lord and Savior, and we have been made victorious.
PRAYER: Thank You, Jesus, for the cross. Thank You for dying on the cross and shedding Your blood for me. Thank You for delivering me from death, hell, and the grave. Through Your blood, I have been saved and redeemed. Lord, there is none like You for You are my Kinsman Redeemer. Through Your blood I am made more than a conqueror. Because You have overcome death and are my Risen Lord and King, I am made victorious. Thank You for forgiving me of my sins and making me clean that I can come into Your presence to worship You. You alone, O God, are worthy of all praise. To You be all the glory and the power and the honor forever. Amen.
Linda A. Knowles
“Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. ‘Look,’ they told him, ‘you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have,'” (1 Samuel 8:4-5NLT).
Linda A. Knowles
“Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.” -Matthew 6:1(NLT)
This Bible verse is very clear: We are to do good for His glory, not our own.
What we do in the way of good deeds, we do out of our love for God and out of our lives lived out in faith to God. “Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others” simply means we are not to do good deeds to receive the applause and approval of men. If we do good deeds to be seen, to receive the applause and approval of men, that is the only reward we will receive, and then, we lose the reward from God. Knowing this, let us resolve to do everything for the glory of God to be seen of Him, to seek His approval. In pleasing God and bringing glory to Him, you will receive the blessing He has for you.
The Word of God, in Galatians 6:14(NLT), states, “As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.” If our boast is to be in anything, then our boast should be in the cross, not in what we do.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You are my God, and I will put my hope and my trust in You. My faith is in You alone. You are the only One whose approval I need to seek and the only One I need to please. Father, help me to always remember that my boast is to be in the cross of Jesus Christ, not in anything I do, and when I do good deeds, I am to do those good works for Your glory. I ask that You let me be a blessing to others and to continue using me for Your glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Linda A. Knowles
“…I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the oppressed hear and rejoice. Magnify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together” -Psalm 34:1-3BSB
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You, O GOD, are the Lord of all Creation.
You are worthy of all glory, of all honor, and of all praise.
You are my Redeemer, my Deliverer, and Friend.
You are my God, and there is no one else like You.
You alone are the Rock Upon Which I Can Stand.
You are the Sure Foundation,
and You are my Savior.
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May Your name, O GOD, be magnified in all the Earth.
May Your children proclaim Your goodness
and testify of Your enduring faithfulness.
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LORD, I can look to no other,
for You are the One Who Set Me free
through Your redemptive blood
that You shed at Calvary.
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Thank You for giving me life
that I might live for You,
to commune with You,
to worship You.
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May I bring glory to You for You are great
and greatly to be praised.
I exalt You, O LORD, for You are
the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
Above You, there is no other.
You are the Alpha and the Omega,
the Beginning and the End
the First and the Last.
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You are my Strong Refuge,
my Strength,
my Hope,
my Joy.
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My spirit rejoices in You,
GOD MY SAVIOR,
and my soul delights in You Who Calls Me By Name,
The One who is my Portion forever,
The Faithful and True GOD.
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I praise You, O LORD,
for You are the Shield around me,
and You are my glory;
You are the Lifter of my Head.
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Let me always sing of Your lovingkindness,
of Your compassion, mercy, and truth.
To God be all the glory!
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In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
MY SWEET SONG, MY SWEET MELODY
Written By Linda A. Knowles
My Sweet Song,
My Sweet Melody,
My God to whom I sing.
Abba,
Sweet Melody,
You are my song-
Through every day,
Through every night.
You are the sweetest song I know,
My Sweet Melody;
And I will glory in who You are,
And sing praises to Your name.
MAGNIFY
Written By Linda A. Knowles
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O Magnify the Lord with me-
Praise to Him, the King of kings!
And I shall lift my voice to sing of His everlasting goodness,
The goodness of The Mighty Sovereign King!
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Almighty God!
You reign supreme,
For You are the God Most High,
And none compares to You, My God,
The Holy, Righteous One.
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You are the Horn of My Salvation,
Exalted far above all the earth,
And You are strong and glorious,
Mighty to save,
Giver of Life,
Everlasting Father,
And You are One!
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CREATION SINGS
Written By Linda A. Knowles
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Flowers of splendid blossom rise,
Hills rolling majestic;
Horizons glow with palettes of rose and hues of yellow,
Rippling across the sky with glints of silver glistening.
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Lush green pastures covered with droplets of morning dew;
Waters cascading from their falls.
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All the wonder of creation displays a marvelous array of beauty,
Handcrafted, so intricately made,
From what once was chaos brought to a glorious order.
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Golden rays of the sun lapping across oceans, brooks, streams, and rivers;
And eagles soaring above mountain heights and furrowed brows,
As the hind makes her way through the treacherous mountain paths,
And the lowest of valleys.
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How majestic is Your Name, O Lord!
How majestic is Your Name!
Your creation continually sings of Your magnificence,
Praising Your splendor and majesty,
Giving the honor due Your Name;
And I, My Lord & King, can only do the same.
Stained Glass Confessions 