MAY 4, 2025

 “Yeah. Beethoven was deaf. Helen Keller was blind. I think Rocky's got a good chance.”

-Adrian, 'Rocky'

1 KINGS 8-9

54When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the Lord, he rose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. 55He stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying:56“Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. 57May the Lordour God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us. 58May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors. 59And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need, 60so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. 61And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”(8:54-61)

LUKE 23:39-56

44It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”^e When he had said this, he breathed his last.

47The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” 48When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

JOURNAL 

Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is trust God when things look like they're falling apart.

In 1 Kings 8, Solomon stands before the people of Israel after dedicating the temple. He’s just prayed one of the longest and most heartfelt prayers in Scripture. Then he rises, blesses the people, and says these powerful words: “Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised… Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave…” (vv. 56-57).

At that moment, everything seemed to be going according to plan. God had been faithful. The temple was built. The people were unified. And Solomon, the wisest man on earth, stood before them all and declared that God had kept His word.

Fast forward hundreds of years, and we’re standing at the foot of a Roman cross in Luke 23. The skies grow dark. The curtain in the temple—Solomon’s temple—is torn in two. Jesus, the promised Messiah, breathes His last breath and dies. Those who had followed Him from Galilee now stand at a distance, confused and grieving. This doesn’t look like victory. This doesn’t look like rest or promise fulfilled. In human terms, it looks like total failure.

And yet—it is in this moment, the darkest moment of all history, that God is doing His greatest work.

This is the mystery of grace. It’s the paradox of God’s kingdom. What looks like defeat is often the birthplace of redemption. The same God who fulfilled every promise in Solomon’s time is now fulfilling His ultimate promise in Christ—not by saving Him from death, but by raising Him through it.

The world saw a broken man. God saw the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world.

You see, God doesn’t measure success the way we do. He’s not impressed by temporary power or outward strength. He looks deeper—into the heart, into eternity. So often we, like the disciples, stand at a distance wondering why things have gone wrong. We wonder why God didn’t intervene, why the healing didn’t come, why evil seems to keep winning.

But God is working. The cross teaches us that. The temple curtain being torn tells us that access to God has been forever changed. Heaven is not distant. Hope is not lost. Victory doesn’t always look like the world expects it to.

And now—we are that temple. We are the light Jesus talked about in Matthew 5: “You are the light of the world… let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (vv. 14–16)

Even when it looks like darkness is winning, God is still writing a story of light. That means your life, your work, your struggles—they are not wasted. God is using them. He’s using you. Even in what feels like failure, your faithfulness shines. Your obedience matters. Your story is not over.

So today, trust Him for tomorrow. Rest in His presence now. Like Solomon prayed, may your heart be fully committed to Him—not just when life makes sense, but especially when it doesn’t. Because it’s in those moments that God does His greatest work.

14You are the light of the world. A city on a hillb cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16