No God Like You

Pastor’s Pen

Now that the Samuel Center has been officially dedicated, our first meal officially planned, served and enjoyed it is time to take a deep breath and express our gratitude to God. Of course, there always remains work to do, but at this point it is good to be able to say, “Thank You Lord for Your perfect faithfulness. Even during those times when Your people might have been tempted to doubt the fulfillment of this project, You never doubted or reconsidered. You were always ready and able to move the project forward, from the dream and idea stage, onward to the commitment stage, and finally to the completion stage. As we turned to You, as we trusted You, so You proved Yourself to be faithful. This fellowship is humbled by Your mercy toward us and for Your grace that fills us. Thank You!”
Scripture bears witness to a beautiful prayer of dedication offered by Solomon, before the entire assembly of Israelites, for the Temple that was built. “O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing loving-kindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart, who have kept with Your servant, my father David, that which You have promised him; indeed, You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand as it is this day.” (I Kings 8:23-24 NASB)
In the beginning of this prayer Solomon acknowledges three things about God, as well as one thing about those blessed by God. First, he acknowledges that God is supremely unique. God is alone at the top of the deity ladder; indeed He is the only true deity. Second, Solomon testifies that God is faithful. God fulfills His promises of mercy and blessing. Finally, Solomon resolves that God is jealous. That is, God desires that His children keep Him as the object of their love. God does not want to share the devotion of His people. Because He knows that if they love Him with all their hearts, so they will love others too. This last acknowledgment about the character of God segues into the one point that Solomon makes concerning the duty of humans. God’s creatures, who have been created in His very image and likeness are to look to God first, are to love God more than anything, and are to desire nothing more than the friendship and companionship of God. Every human of whom this kind of devotion is true is in the position to reap the bountiful harvest of God’s blessings.
The new addition of First Baptist, Towanda, in terms of physical size and material glory, is nothing compared to the elaborate Temple built by Solomon, perhaps the most glorious building in the world at that time. Yet, we trust in the same God, we depend on the same God, and we build for the same purpose. As a testimony to these truths let us worship God by acknowledging that the vision behind our building was generated by the Spirit of God. The motivation to move forward by faith was provided by the same Spirit, the perseverance to finish the project issued from Him also, and it will be God’s Holy Spirit who will lead us in the future. Why? Because, like Solomon, we understand that God alone is SUPREME, He alone is FAITHFUL, and He alone is JEALOUS for His people’s love.
As it is with the building of a physical structure, like the Samuel Center, so it is, with the building of a spiritual temple. Scripture testifies that, not only is our individual body to be a temple of the Holy Spirit, but the assembly of believers consisting of the church, is as well. God has promised to bring to perfect completion, for His perfect glory, the life of every Christian while bringing perfect completion to the church as well. May we look to God as the ONE who is faithful to fulfill His promises; may we know God as our only true God; may we love God more than anything else; and may we desire his friendship above all others.
Blessings,
Pastor Gibbs