RM made a loooong trip the other day out to visit a customer. He was quite sure it would result in work, but this was the thing....they wanted him to work for free. How is that even possible? He was so discouraged when he came home. It makes you wonder how you are supposed to make a living? Are you supposed to charge less so you get the work, but then struggle all the time? I don't think so. I love how even the Bible addressed this very fact yesterday.
David had longed to build the temple for God, but God had had another plan. He was going to have Solomon, his son, build it. Hiram, king of Tyre, had been a friend of David's and would have been the guy to help build the temple, but he had to wait as well (no contract?) However, once Solomon was king, he "sent word to Hiram". He told him to get started on building the temple (contract awarded?), "And my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set..." (1 Kings 5:6). Did you notice that? Solomon promised to pay Hiram! Whatever wage HE determined. Solomon didn't expect him to work for free.
Then, a few verses down, it records what Hiram says, "And you shall meet my wishes by providing for my household." (5:9). There you have it. We weren't nuts after all. Even Solomon saw the wisdom in paying for the work that Hiram was providing. Hiram knew he needed to feed his family! He set a wage that he figured was fair and he expected Solomon to pay it, which he did....he didn't even question what Hiram demanded. I was able to share this with RM as an encouragement to persevere! It's ok to expect to get paid for the work you do! Our family needs to eat! We don't have to work for free!
As I said, Hiram would have been the one to build the temple if David had gotten the go-ahead, but he had to wait for the "contract". Once he was told the news that "the contract had been awarded", the temple was being built, it says, "As soon as Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly..." No doubt! Ok, perhaps a bit of a stretch, making it sound like the temple was a contract, but seriously, it occurred to me, if RM doesn't get work from this customer, it's ok. A different contract will come at a different time. Hiram had to wait. We'll have to wait. We don't have to get worried when it appears work isn't coming from the source we expect. But, if and when it comes, we, too, will rejoice like Hiram!
As usual, God has a way of encouraging us along the road. I need encouragement as much as RM. I had been pleading with RM for a computer for a verrrry long time. We had many times put a computer order in a shopping cart on-line, but had never been able to get it. I had to be patient. But I prayed. I told God, "I need a computer that works!" Each laptop we had kept falling apart or having issues. I gave up. I figured if God wanted me to have a computer, I'd get a computer. It just didn't seem meant to be.
Then, last week, out of the blue, I got a call from a friend, "Hey, do you want a computer?" "Sure.....?" I said hesitantly, as often computer gifts are more like computer dinosaurs. She knew someone who was giving one away and was quite sure it was a good computer, so I said, "I'll take it!" as her family didn't need it. I couldn't believe it, was I really getting a computer?! It showed up on Sunday. We took it out of the box. It was as good as new. It turned on. It worked! My kids were so excited! What can I say except it was another blessing from heaven! It was such a specific answer to prayer. I'm begging my kids to not wreck this one. Thank you, dear friend, soooooo much for passing this on to us! I'm so grateful!!!!!!
When Solomon eventually finished the temple, he dedicated it to the Lord. His prayer of dedication was wonderful. I would include the whole thing, but it is very long. What struck me was how he acknowledged, of course, "heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! YET have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day.....whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by man or by all your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart and stretching out his hands towards this house, then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways (for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind)...(1Kings 8:27, 28, 38, 39)
That sums it all up - God didn't need a temple, but Solomon asked that He would still "have regard" for his humble prayer, despite the fact he knew how small he was. He asked that whoever came into the temple to pray would be heard, no matter what the prayer, no matter what the plea. We all have different afflictions, different requests, yet we all stretch our hands towards heaven. We also ask that God would hear us and that He would "forgive and act and render to each heart" what we ask for. At the end of his prayer he says, "Let your eyes be open to the pleas of your servant and to the plea of your people Israel, giving ear to them whenever they call to you." (vs. 52)
God hears our prayers. Big requests and small requests. Not getting the work when we expected it was a bit of disappointment, but we brought it before the Lord and if RM is meant to get it, he will. Getting the computer may seem like a trivial thing, but it was huge to me. In the big picture of life, I know I would have been ok if I never had a computer. I had been getting by fine by using RM's when I needed to. But I count it such a blessing! We had also prayed for my sister's health. She got back the great news that she is cancer free! That is a really big answer to prayer! We're so grateful! God heard our plea here, too!
I'm pretty sure Solomon wasn't thinking of me when he prayed that prayer of dedication, but God knew I would exist one day! Those words were included in the Bible for me to read, to know that my pleas would be heard, the big ones and the small ones. It says, "whatever prayer, whatever pleas" would be made. My afflictions will not be the same as someone else's, but God will hear their pleas as well. Of course, the answers don't always come as we hope or expect, but that doesn't mean He hasn't heard us. I've learned that lesson. He still hears us. He still answers.
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