Word of Encouragement (02/11/2025)
Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. 16 For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time. (2 Chron. 7:12–16)
As we reflect on the prayers in the Old Testament, reflecting on the way God answered those prayers will be encouraging. So, let us reflect on God’s response to Solomon’s prayer of dedication. After the dedication ceremony, the Lord appeared to Solomon and gave this response.
The Lord said to Solomon, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice” (v. 12). I wonder how Solomon felt about this response from God. Did this come as a surprise or did he expect it? If he expected it, why? Was it because the temple was an architectural masterpiece? Was it because he held a feast for seven days (v. 9) and offered countless sacrifices for the occasion (v. 7)? We can see how easily we can get into that kind of thinking. We survey our hard work and accomplishments and wonder how God can ever be not pleased with them. But Solomon knew better. The temple might have been exceptional when compared to other temples of that time. But he was wise enough to know that the temple he built could not measure up to the supreme glory of God: “But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built” (6:18)!
Did God’s answer come as a total surprise to Solomon? Probably not. As we saw, he did not make his petitions on the basis of his merit. He appealed to God and His great mercy, which He showed in establishing a covenant with his father David. He did not expect God to hear his prayer as if God owed it to him. But he cautiously hoped for it because he trusted God to be merciful and gracious.
Have you wanted something badly from someone? Maybe an acceptance letter from the school of your choice, or a job offer from your dream job, or a yes from your crush. How elating and exhilarating it is to be heard and accepted! If you have the assurance from the almighty God that your prayer will not get lost in piles of petitions but that He will hear your prayer and answer it, how life-changing that will be! But isn’t that the assurance we have from God in Jesus Christ? “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you” (John 15:16). This is the power of the name of Jesus, God’s beloved Son, in whom God is well-pleased. May you respond properly as the Spirit urges you to pray in the name of Jesus Christ!