I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.
Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Kings 8.
Solomon said some very wise things when he dedicated the Temple. After his prayer of dedication he turned to the people and reminded them, and us, that in order to serve God we must desire to do so. And in our human frailty the desire to serve God is a gift we must receive from Him. I came to realize as I read today’s passage that each time Solomon referred to someone praying towards the Temple he was using that action as a metaphor for turning away from evil and towards God. We, as human beings, are very influenced by taking physical actions which have symbolic meanings. Many of those who smoke cigarettes are as addicted to the ritual they go through each time they light a cigarette as they are to the nicotine. In the same way, a ritual can help us focus on God and doing His will. Solomon was offering the people of Israel such a ritual. Each one of us needs rituals in their life which turns our attention to God and His will for us. The only downside to this is that we may allow the ritual to take the place of God.