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Day 92, or April 2nd. We constantly need reminding.

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Our thoughts today are from 1 Kings chapter 8 verse 9. There was nothing in the ark except

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the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant

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with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

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Now the big picture surrounding this verse. It's all systems go on project temple. It

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takes seven years to complete it. Seven, the perfect number in Judaism. Then it takes almost

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twice as long for Solomon to finish his own house. Thirteen years to be absolutely accurate.

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The house was about four times the size of the temple. Need I go on to show how Solomon

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was slipping away from God's standard. The ark is installed with all the other items

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of furniture, and the shekinah glory of the Lord fills the temple. It was so full that

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the priests couldn't gain access, as Solomon preached and prayed, as the people rejoiced.

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And now today's action step. The ark of the covenant, which Solomon carefully placed in

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the new temple in Jerusalem, was not all that it used to be. When it was in the tabernacle

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it contained the Ten Commandments, Aaron's rod, and a jar of manna. Now it only contained

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the Ten Commandments, the two magnificent reminders of God's faithfulness to them,

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as they escaped from Egypt and survived forty years in the wilderness.

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Aaron's rod and some manna were both missing. Israel was still founded on the solid foundation

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of the word of God, as we must be too. However, they seemed to have forgotten the amazing

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works of God and the miracles of the budding rod and the daily supply of manna for forty

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years. The reminders had gone. If we forget how good God has been to us in the past, the

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word of God can become an academic exercise if we're not careful. Remind yourself regularly

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just how good God has been. Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise

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you what the Lord has done. Name one now!