Daily Devotional

God, very pleased with Solomon’s burnt offering, visited him in a dream and told Solomon to request anything. In response, Solomon began by giving thanks to God for all God had done for David, his father, and for putting him on the throne. Learn to count your blessings. One who has not learnt to say ‘thank you’ lacks the right to ask for more. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to praise God before asking for our daily bread.

Very often, we are just like Herod; we gather around ourselves a bunch of sycophants and praise singers. Anyone who tells us the truth, challenges us, or criticises us is considered our enemy. Instead of accepting our faults, we find a way to eliminate such a person. Be humble enough to take criticism. You are not always as perfect as your ego makes you believe. Consider those who criticise you to be your real friends, helping you to grow.

David observed that all the problems he faced during his reign as king resulted from ignoring God’s commandments. Having painfully learnt his lessons, David concluded: “Keep God’s commandments, and everything will go well for you.” One mistake we often make is thinking we can disobey God without suffering the consequences of our misdeeds. The truth is that God’s commandments are a covenant. If we want God to do his part, we, too, must do our part.