In the 2nd book of Chronicles we are told of King Solomon's reign and accomplishments, how God blessed him with enormous wisdom and riches, and how much other kings came to admire him. Although the Jerusalem temple was planned and provided for by David, it was Solomon who had the honor of building it. It is described as having an ivory throne overlaid with gold, and precious materials. It is this splendor of wisdom and riches that also converts many like the queen of Sheba who, upon seeing the majesty, expresses God's love for Israel, His people, and how He want to preserve them forever through the reign of Solomon. In 2 Chronicles 9:30 we are told "Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years."

Today God is asking you, Do you guard and take care of the temple as part of the Kingdom? And He is not talking about a place to worship or your parish but about your body, Temple of the Holy Spirit. The Temple of Jerusalem was a place where everything was made new, with the most expensive and extravagant materials, with the exception of the Ark of the Covenant; it could be said that Solomon offered only the best to God and took perfect care of every detail and the Ark represented God's promise to His people that despite the nuance remains intact. Such care and detail is precisely what impressed others who where moved to experience God's wisdom first hand. Today God is asking you to look at yourself as the Temple of His Spirit, from His Love, and like Solomon take care of it, keep it and manage it with wisdom so that God Himself may be Glorified with our lives.

May the Lord open our hearts to His Eternal Love 🙏💕🕊️

The Book of Chronicles was written after the exile to help those who returned to Israel understand how to worship God. It's purpose was to look at the past in view of the present and thus unify the people of God, tracing the roots of Israel to teach that true worship must be the center of national and individual life. A chronicle of the pattern of sin, repentance, forgiveness, and restoration of the nation of Israel. It begins by telling us the story of King David and how he offers all his riches; gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and precious stones for the construction of the temple of Jerusalem inviting his servants and the people to unite in sacrifice and adoration. In 1 Chronicles 29:27 it tells us "He was king over Israel for forty years: he was king seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem."

Today God is asking you to put your wealth at the service of the Kingdom, not your material wealth but but your being so that with your example of service, dedication and delivery you can be a living sign of His Love. King David served God as a simple shepherd but also as a courageous ruler. The transition of these roles in the midst of difficulties, wars, mistakes, repentance, and his conviction and willingness to follow the Lord allows us to see the infinite grace of God and how He glories in the midst our weakness. That today, like David, we may recognize the greatness of God in our lives and give Him honor and glory with our actions.

May the Lord open our hearts to His eternal love 🙏💕🕊️

Elisha sends Jehu to be anointed by God's orders and at the end of his life he begins the extermination of the pagan god Baal by setting a trapp to his faithful including King Ahaziah. His son Joash assumes the kingdom at the age of 7 and according to the Book of Kings his reign was good in the eyes of God, dedicating himself to repairing the temple, but it also says that he failed to eliminate the temples on the hills dedicated to the pagan gods where The people continued to offer sacrifices. In 2 Kings 12:2 he says "In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah, from Beer-sheba."

Today God is inviting you to reflect in your service as Kingdom's participant but from your relationship with Him. Joash knew of God and followed his laws at the hands of a guiding priest, but once he dies he decides to join other chiefs to worship idols. His knowledge of God was tied to one person but he was not open to having a personal relationship with God and did not get to know Him. Today God is asking you for a faithful service from Love so that unlike Joash, our participation in the Kingdom is not dependent on a person united to Him, but rather our full trust is centered on God Himself, who's waiting for you.

May the Lord open our hearts to his love 🙏💕🕊️

Elisha whose name means "God is salvation" was called to follow the prophet Elijah, became his disciple and served him for 10 years. When Elijah was taken up to heaven, he left him his cloak as a symbol of succession and he was able to perform various and powerful miracles in the name of God; divides waters, restores life to the son of the Shunammite, cures Naaman of leprosy, turns unhealthy water into drinkable with a plate of salt, multiplies bread, barley and corn to feed 100 men, among so many... Ben-Hadad, King of Aram, was very sick and as he realizes that Elisha is in town, he sends to consult God through him asking that they bring him a good gift. In 2 Kings 8:9 we are told "Hazael went to visit him, carrying a present, and with forty camel loads of the best goods of Damascus. On his arrival, he stood before Elisha and said, “Your son Ben-hadad, king of Aram, has sent me to you to ask, ‘Will I recover from my sickness?’"

Today God asking you. How do you act in the face of illness? The king's attitude towards Elisha's visit is interesting since he understands that in the midst of this fame of miracles and wonders, it is God himself who acts through his servant. His words are "Go to the man of God to consult Yahweh through him." And it is that in his actions we can also see generosity since he makes sure that they bring him a very good gift, detaching himself from material things to seek God without demanding, without claiming, but rather he seeks him to consult. That today, in the midst of our illness, sadness or discouragement, we may as the king take an attitude of search towards God and are moved to establish a closer and more intimate relationship with Him, who knows and Loves us.

May the Lord open our hearts to His Eternal Love 🙏💕🕊️

Elijah is one of the most important and recognized prophets of the Old Testament. He was a determined, dedicated, wise and faithful man who lived exclusively to serve God and in His name performs great miracles; he prophesied a great drought, resurrects a child, multiplies flour and oil ... but he also brings judgment to the people of Israel and challenges the prophets of the pagan god Baal to bring down fire from heaven. Before all people, Elijah prays to God with faith and makes fire come down from heaven to consume his sacrifice which had been soaked with water and the Lord burns even the stones, thus making it known that He is the only one true God. The kings in power begin to persecute him but he flees into the desert, cries out to God and while he sleeps is awakened by an angel who provides him food. 1 Kings 19:8 tells us about Elijah " He got up, ate, and drank; then strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb."

Today God would like you to stand, to let Him be your livelihood and your strength to keep going in the midst of difficulties. Elijah did many majestic wonders in the name of God, but his life was not easy; He suffered from hunger, thirst, felt loneliness, he was persecuted but he never stoped trusting God, even more so in the midst of difficulties he seeks Him and turnes to His mercy with full confidence. Today God also wants to show the world His greatness through you but He is asking you to trust Him. That as Elijah, we may recognize God in the gentle breeze and let ourselves be lifted up, fed and fortified by Him to be prophets of His Love regardless of the circumstances.

May the Lord open our hearts to His eternal love 🙏💕🕊️

Under Solomon's reign, the kingdom of Israel reached its greatest splendor. And it is that when God asks what He could do for him, he humbly asks for wisdom and intelligence to be able to govern the nation that He has entrusted to his father and to him and this pleases God so much that he does not only grants his request but also grants him much more. Thus he became one of the most popular kings in the world and the first great Israelite builder: he rebuilds and fortifies cities, erects palaces and recreational sites and builds his masterpiece: the temple of Jerusalem. 1 Kings 11:42 tells us "The time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years."

Today God is asking you to reflect on the construction of his Kingdom and on your role as a builder. The Bible tells us that the Lord blesses Solomon with wisdom, riches and honor fulfilling the promise he made to David, his father, but it does not tell us that Solomon was a perfect man. He was humble in asking for God's help to be able to govern such a big nation, but the book of Kings also tells us about his weakness for women, especially foreign ones that end up leading him to worship false gods. Any construction, especially big ones, need a solid foundation and today God asks us that as builders of His Kingdom we let the base or the main thing in our lives be Him and His Love and just like in the reign of Solomon, despite our failures God may Glory in the midst of our weakness.

May the Lord open our hearts to His eternal love 🙏💕🕊️

The book of Kings narrates the last few days of King David and the recommendations he gave his son Solomon, heir to the throne, which are summarized in "keep the teachings of God in your heart and stick to his law because He is and will always be faithful to His promise." 1 Kings 2:11 reiterates "David was king over Israel for forty years: he was king seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

Today God is asking you. How are you living the the Kingdom? David lived his reign in many ways, but the most important thing in his life was not his power, or his sin, but rather that he was humble enough to accept his mistakes, ask for forgiveness with intention, and follow God's commandments at difficult times as well as prosperous. These qualities earned the admiration of the whole nation and make him be loved. Today God invites you to look at His Kingdom beyond a place or a future event because Jesus himself has told us that the Kingdom is among us. We are seed and germ, which is planted, dies and bears fruit. That today we may open ourselves to the Love of God, die from attachments or unhealthy habits and bear fruits of service so as it says in Romans live it in justice, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

May the Lord open our hearts to His Eternal love 🙏💕🕊️

The book of Samuel tells us that David was young, blond, had beautiful eyes and a good presence, qualities that at that time were not typical of a warrior king who had to conquer an empire.  But as God himself tells Saul one day "Man looks at appearances, but God looks at the heart." And it is this God that transforms the most humble, a small and simple shepherd from Bethlehem, into the king of a nation. 2 Samuel 5:4 tells us "He was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years."

Today God is asking you. Are you ready to take part in the Kingdom? David is described as a just, humble, brave, passionate king; warrior, musician and poet, but not exempt from sins; every time he made a mistake he assumed it and asked God for forgiveness. And although he was anointed by God to be king, his life was not easy;  he experienced betrayal, persecution, living in the shadow of another kingdom, he was a refugee... but despite his experiences he was always willing to follow God's plan. Today God is asking us to experience and take participation in His Kingdom, He has called you by name and anointed you as Beloved son/daughter, and He seeks that, like David, your will will encounter His so that his Power manifests in the midst of our smallness. 

May the Lord open our hearts to His Eternal Love 🙏💕🕊️

The books of Samuel tell us the story of the union of the people of Israel and how the various tribes under judges, as they conquered neighboring lands, became unified before a monarchy during the reign of Saul and David. After David defeats Goliath the paths of Saul and David are unified but Saul is filled with envy and begins to persecute David even though God lets him know in many ways that David is the king He has chosen.  David ends up running away and everyone continues to fight their separate ways. Once again Saul turns his back on God disobeying his commands and ends his days consulting a fortune teller to invoke a spirit to help him defeat the Philistines, but ends up taking his own life in the face of imminent defeat. It is evident that Saul did not feel loved by God and this leads him to seek answers outside of Him and according to his own ideas. In 2 Samuel 2:10 we find that a general of the army names a successor king from his offspring "Ishbaal, son of Saul, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years; but the house of Judah followed David."  It is worth mentioning that the name Ishbaal is translated as the "name of Baal" which in Hebrew means pagan.

Today God is asking you. Who do you follow? It is interesting to see that the tribes of Israel are unified at the end of the period of the judges, but at the same time they are also separated due to the confusion of a double reign. Although God called to anoint and appoint David as His king, there are those who decide to follow a pagan king, someone who believes in false gods and / or performs practices contrary to divine mandates and guidances, alluding to the name of Ishbaal. Today God is asking us to remain faithful, to recognize Him as our only king so that from the novelty of His Love, we can identify the false gods of our society. 

May the Lord open our hearts to His Eternal Love 🙏💕🕊️

The first book of Samuel marks the step towards the reign of David from the conception of Samuel, the last of the leaders and first of the great prophets of Israel.  It tells us about the consecration of Saul as successor king and how he put material goods before God's commands and turned away from Him. Faced with rejection, God chooses a young man from Bethlehem, the smallest of 7 brothers named David, to be the next King of Israel and unites the path of Saul and David.  Meanwhile Israelites under the command of Saul prepare for a battle with the Philistines and meet Goliath, a warrior about 3 meters tall who wore powerful and intimidating armor.  He challenges them to choose only one of his men to defeat him and to do so the Philistines would submit but the Israelites along with Saul lost their spirits and were filled with fear.  In 1 Samuel 17:16 we find "Meanwhile the Philistine came forward and took his stand morning and evening for forty days."

Today God is asking you to ponder on your identity as a child of God and how are you reacting to life's challenges? God choses Saul as king, speaks to him and makes his mission known to him, but he himself truncates his reign from his freedom, letting himself be carried away by riches and people, thus rejecting his dignity as a son and renouncing God's plan. The giant Goliath comes to surface Saul's fear and represents a challenge for him, mocking and ridiculing the Israelites who forget that God dwells among them. Today God would like for us to recognize ourselves as his children and let him act from His identity as our Father, He who is faithful to his promises and gives us security in the midst of the greatest challenges. 

May the Lord open our hearts to His eternal Love 🙏💕🕊️