Today’s Reading:
I Kings 11:26-40
“ ... behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes.” (v. 35)
Why divine substitute? Does God have substitutions? There is nothing that catches God unawares, he knows the end from the beginning. What would become of man he knew before the foundation of the world. There is always a divine substitution when the person misbehaves. When Elijah complained that he was the only remaining standing prophet, God told him that he had seven thousand who had not bowed to Baal. For God's work to be destroyed, he would rather change man. From the passage above, we saw how the kingdom was ripped off Solomon's hands. Solomon was the choicest king, the Lord himself chose him, he was given birth to by a man after God's heart. He grew up in the kingdom of a great warrior in the land of Israel, one who won a national award for killing the man called Goliath that constituted himself a threat to Saul's kingdom. Solomon was the wisest king that ever lived. He enjoyed all the goodies of this world- gold and other natural resources of that time were in his hands. He built the most magnificent temple and palace, a man well respected for his wisdom even by the kings and the nobles. I actually delved into Solomon's background just to bring to your remembrance who he was. The Lord promised him His presence as long as he remained faithful but low and behold, he fumbled by going after other gods, he married strange women to the count of one thousand (700 hundred wives and 300 concubines). Despite the height, Solomon reached he was substituted. The twelve tribes were reduced to two in his hands all because of sin.
Sin will take you farther than you want to go and cause you to pay more than you can afford. What a woe! God is still in the business of using men to fulfil his purpose on this side of the divide likewise there are a thousand substitutes when one person misbehaves. Let it sink deep down into your being that no matter how useful or powerful, you are not irreplaceable. The kingdom was taken out of Solomon's hand and given to the who was slave and son of a widow. The warning is coming again to you, there have been several warnings, yet you did not budge. Will you amend your ways now before there's a divine announcement about your substitution?
JAMES ALADE
Prayer:
I shall not fall into the error that will lead to my substitution in the program of God.
Every character flaw in me calling for divine attention for substitution, oh Lord remove, break and remould me.
Every divine assignment that I was doing but given to another, Father, have mercy on me, restore me to my rightful place, in Jesus name.
May my place not be taken in God's agenda in Jesus name.
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