Lost I.D.

I have to admit that one of my favorite movies is not a healthy family movie. It is Jason Bourne. I like it because of the action and suspense, but the message behind it also intrigues me. He has lived a number of years of his life as someone who he thought he was, but wasn’t. Throughout the first movie, The Bourne Identity, he is searching for his true identity. He gets glimpses of who he really is, but he just can’t put it all together. 

 

I’m not promoting the movie for people to watch, but I wonder if we struggle with the same concept as Christians today—living from an identity that is not who we really are or searching for our true identity in Christ. My concern is that our true identity in Christ has become a hidden truth in the church. Do we have a Lost I.D.?

Statistics show that most Christians do not know who they are in Christ. Many times we think our identity lies in what we do or how we feel, but it’s the opposite; who we are determines what we do, how we feel comes from our thoughts. We can only fake it for so long. The focus is not our behavior, it’s our being.

Once we are in Christ, we become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our identity changes. Just like marriage, once you’re married, you’re married and no longer single, your identity has changed. The problem with some is that they still want to live like they’re single. Similarly in the Christian community, once we have given our life to Christ, we are no longer sinners, we are saints (1 Corinthians 1:2) and we have become children of God (John 1:12). The problem isn’t really that we want to continue to be sinners, but it's that we still see ourselves as sinners and our behavior bleeds through our perception of ourself.

If we could understand who we are as a child of God and learn all of the character traits we already have in Christ, our behavior will automatically change because of our perception of ourself. The point is not to behave well, the point is be more like Christ.

We are loved, forgiven, free, sanctified, justified, indwelt by the Spirit, and the list goes on. What an exciting revelation to know that we are free from sin and no longer slaves to it.

Maybe you are like I was; living not knowing who I really am in Christ. Maybe you’re searching to understand what that means and getting only glimpses like Jason Bourne. I challenge you to read the scriptures (Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, and more) and BELIEVE what they say about you even though you may not “feel” it yet. We do not base our identity on our behavior nor our feelings.

We love you all and pray that your journey continues to reveal the truth about who God is and who you are in Christ. 

May your Lost I.D. be found.

Impeding Pride

As much as I hate to admit it just like in last month's Perilous Presumptions post, pride is something that seems to seep in to my life unexpectedly and uninvited. In fact, whenever I hear someone speak about pride or read about it, I seldom stop to think that what they're saying could apply to me. Author Neil Anderson said, "Pride is like bad breath, everyone knows you have it except for you." There is truth in that funny phrase!

 

In the past couple of "Manna" posts, I have camped out in 2 Kings 5 and the story of Naaman's healing. I talked about the courage of the Jewish servant girl he kidnapped and how she was able to see the value of Living Victoriously in an Upside Down Life and last time looking at how the King of Israel misunderstood the reasoning why the King of Syria sent Naaman to him. That presumption could have ended in peril; he was ready to make war until Elisha came to clear up the misunderstanding.

 

Naaman's "bad breath" was impeding him from his healing until his servants explained to him another perspective.

 

The story goes with Elisha calling Naaman to his house. When he arrived, Elisha sent his servant out to tell him to dip in the Jordan River 7 times and he would receive his healing.  This did not set well with the Army Captain, he was the right hand man of the King of Syria, he "deserved better" than to have a servant come out and tell him how to be healed. And, on top of that, to go to a river that belonged to the Israelites??? Well, their rivers were much better in Syria! (see 2 Kings 5:9-12).

 

As Naaman stormed off in disgust with Elisha, his own servants asked him, "If Elisha himself would have come out, wouldn't you go down to the River Jordan?" The fact his, Naaman was offended that Elisha sent to him a servant instead of coming out to him himself and telling him to go to a river against which he had his prejudices. If it was not for his own servants speaking sense into him, his pride would have impeded him from being healed. 

 

It looks like to me from this passage that the best way to receive healing (in this context) or instructions from a godly leader is to humble ourself, recognize our prejudices, and simply follow the instructions of the Word. We will find rest, peace, health and healing in believing that it's for us. Our obedient belief will bring blessings and rest which God has promised. 

 

Hebrews 3:19 says, "they were unable to enter (the rest) because of their unbelief". It was when Naaman finally humbled himself and believed, or obeyed what Elisha said, that he finally received his healing. 

 

Pride can prevent the promises of God from becoming a reality in our life. 

 

I used to think that because of my circumstances certain promises weren't for me. But, I have learned to believe the promises despite my circumstances. The promises of God are Truth. But, the Grace of God can only be accessed through Faith (Romans 5:2).

 

In a recent devotion time, the reality of how our thoughts take us into our future became even more clear. If we believe our life is a mess and that's just the cards we've been dealt, then we will continue have a messy life and our circumstances will reflect that. But, if we can see that Jesus came to give us ABUNDANT LIFE (John 10:10), we will begin to see changes in our life as we believe for that blessing.

 

Impeding Pride puts a wall up between us and the blessing.

 

Perilous Presumptions

Have you ever assumed something was true, but later found out that it wasn't true? I have, and I have to say that it has happened to me more times than I'd like to admit. Growing up, my poor self-image and insecurities fueled my misunderstanding of other people's motives. I became overly sensitive and easily offended. Knowing who I am in Christ has revolutionized my perspective on life. What others think about me does not dictate who I am; who I am is dictated by what God says about me. That goes for all of us.

Misunderstanding other peoples' motives can be dangerous. It fractures families, finishes friendships, wages wars, and isolates individuals. 

Last month I shared about Naaman's servant girl who offered valuable information that led to Naaman's healing. Her life must have turned upside down when she was taken away. Despite what happened to her, she decided to not live as a victim. She knew the value of Living Victoriously in an Upside Down Life.

The King of Syria sent his Military Captain Naaman to the King of Israel asking for him to heal his servant. The King of Israel, Joram at the time, became furious. He assumed that the King of Syria was setting him up for failure and was looking for an opportunity to accuse and take advantage of Joram. Joram assumed the King of Syria's intentions were of war and deception. He said, "What!?! Am I God, to kill and to make alive?...I see how he seeketh a quarrel against me." 

Elisha heard about what was going on and intervened. Otherwise, this story could have taken a very different turn. Who knows what could have happened? Elisha "delivered" the King of his perilous presumption and provided understanding and healing. 

I am so thankful that Christ intervened on our behalf. He provides forgiveness and healing. When we listen to Him, He will help us see things from a proper truthful perspective. If we receive the correction with humility, we will begin to understand the truth, be able to forgive, and be healed emotionally.

Think of how many families that didn't need to be fractured. Think of how many friendships were not meant to be finished. Think of the wars that didn't need to be waged. Think of the Individuals who have Isolated themselves into loneliness. We live in a fallen world and because of that, we find ourselves in these situations. Jesus is the Answer.

Are you someone who assumes others have wrong motives towards you? Are you easily offended by what others say? The next time we assume something about someone, let's take it to Jesus first. The Prophet Elisha came to the King of Israel; Jesus came to us.

Granted, there are people who do have selfish ambitions and only think of themselves, but the Perilous Presumptions will cause us to incorrectly believe that about everyone and become overly sensitive and easily offended...I know, I've been there.

Maybe this concept is foreign to you. Praise the Lord! But, it is real for many people. My prayer is that those who do have these Perilous Presumptions would be able to humbly recognize it and seek the Lord for help.

If you have been offended by anything in this post, I would urge you to honestly consider yourself in this area. You are loved! God has such a great plan for your life! He thinks so highly of you and always wants the best for you.

I'm so glad that God is Love and He loves us. That truth makes the idea of Perilous Presumptions seem silly. 

Living Victoriously in an Upside Down Life

In 2 Kings 5 is the story about a very respected and honorable military captain to the King of Syria named Naaman. He was an extremely valiant warrior, but he had leprosy. In one of his victories over Israel that the Lord gave him (v.1), he kidnapped a young girl from Israel to be a slave to his wife.

 

Through that young slave girl, Naaman found his healing and freedom. If you read and meditate on the whole story, you will find plenty to learn. It always amazes me how much the Bible can teach us, but we just look over it superficially and call it reading. I have had that experience, but since I started to read, meditate, pray, and constantly think about the passages I read, the Lord has shown me so many things. 

 

For example, in this passage you'll find topics such as: a good reputation, sharing your faith (in the New Testament, we call that evangelism), misunderstandings, pride, prejudices, faith in action that produces healing, humility, lying, selfishness, greed, judgement, supernatural knowledge, and a focus on the One who gave us life in the first place, God.

 

Although all of these topics are very interesting and I could probably write about each one, none of them would even be in the Bible through this story if it weren't for the young slave girl. If she had not spoken up, we would have probably never heard of Naaman; he would have died a leper.

 

The life of that young slave girl had to have been a difficult one. We know nothing about her parents, but can you imagine what went through their minds when their daughter was taken from them? Heartbreaking to say the least! She was stripped from her parents, from her homeland, from her community, from the comfort of home to a place that, in her mind, was the enemy camp. Yet, though her life turned upside down, she held on to her faith. Her faith in Almighty God. She knew about Elisha the Prophet; she knew he could heal her master.

 

What an amazing picture of someone who was forced to live in a situation for which she did not ask. Instead of feeling sorry for herself and living a life as a "victim", she decided to live a life from a victorious position. She knew the Truth and where to find it. She had God-given compassion for the very one who kidnapped her.

 

A lot of our problems can be resolved when we change the way we think. Jesus said, "The Truth will make you free" (John 8:32). We just need to know what that Truth is.

 

It does not matter what we've gone through. Some of us may have gone through worse situations, but we can still take the position of being victorious. If you have made Jesus Lord of your life, you are victorious (Romans 8:37). You can live a victorious life if you make Him Lord. This doesn't mean everything is going to turn out perfectly, but in the imperfections of life, we can trust in Him because He said he would never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

 

You can Live Victoriously in an Upside Down Life. You never know the impact of a Word the Lord can speak through you.

"What is Pentecost?" by Javan Smith

 

While we were in Colorado, I had the privilege of sitting down over coffee with one of Emma's teachers who has become a good friend. He teaches on the Old Testament and since I was about to preach about Pentecost the next Sunday, I wanted to pick his brain about the relationship of Pentecost in the Old Testament.

 

He recently wrote about Pentecost and I asked his permission to share it in our message. These photos are what he posted as well. Enjoy what he wrote...

 

What is Pentecost?

Fifty days after Passover, is the biblical feast known as Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks). Through Church history, Shavuot has commonly been called “Pentecost,” a name derived from the Greek word for “fiftieth.” Because most of the world follows the Gregorian calendar, rather than the lunar Hebrew calendar, churches observe “Pentecost Sunday” on a day that may not correspond with the biblical Feast of Shavuot, but regardless of what some scholars may argue, Pentecost and Shavuot are the same holiday.

Of the seven feasts of Israel, Pentecost is the final spring feast. Four feasts occur during the Spring and three occur during the Fall. When studied as a complete panorama, the seven feasts tell the story of the betrothal and marriage of the Messiah with His Bride. In the four spring feasts, we see a portrayal of the betrothal or ‘kiddushin.’ At the betrothal stage, the bridegroom offers the cup of wine to his beloved, and she has the choice of whether to accept. Once she accepts, then the marriage contract, known as the ‘ketubah’ is drawn up, specifying the bride price, or “mohar.” Yeshua the Messiah fulfilled the four spring feasts in His first coming, when He came as the suffering servant. In the first Pentecost that followed His crucifixion, Jesus sent the bride price (“mohar”) of the Holy Spirit, whom Ephesians 1:13-14 refers to as the down payment of our promised redemption.

During Passover, the Lord offered the cup of wine, revealing His intent to betroth us to Himself. Recall that the very first Passover was the night that the Lord led the armies of Israel out of Egypt. Most scholars believe that the Law was given at Mt. Sinai fifty days after the very first Passover, which would have been the very first Feast of Shavuot. In a sense, the Law represented the marriage contract (the ketubah) between the Lord and His Bride. Of course, Israel broke the marriage contract (see Jeremiah 31:32), but when Jesus came, He paid the price of the broken contract. In fact, when He was in the wilderness, He responded to each temptation by saying “it is written.” The Hebrew word for “marriage contract” (“ketubah”) literally means “written.” Though the New Testament is recorded in Greek, Jesus would have spoken Aramaic or Hebrew, and the word that He would have used to say “it is written” would have been a direct reference to the marriage contract that was given at the first Shavuot, namely the Law. Even though the bride had broken the contract, the Bridegroom came to keep that which had been “written.”

Pentecost represents a season of waiting. After Passover, the people of God are to count fifty days, from barley harvest to wheat harvest. Recall that the Holy Spirit came “when the Day of Pentecost had fully come,” according to Acts 2:1-4. Why did it happen when Pentecost had fully come? Fulfillment of the Promise had to happen on the fiftieth day, corresponding to the time frame God had prearranged millennia earlier. Between the Resurrection and the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit, what did Jesus instruct His disciples to do? He told them to wait! (see Luke 24:49). Sometimes, waiting can seem maddening, but we know that He is working in the waiting.

Befitting to the theme of waiting, the story of Ruth is generally associated with the holiday of Shavuot. Orthodox Jews traditionally read the Book of Ruth during the Shavuot season. Ruth’s redemptive story is a story of waiting, trusting that her redeemer was working on her behalf. From the time of barley harvest, corresponding to Passover, to the time of wheat harvest, corresponding to Pentecost, Ruth patiently continued to glean in the field of Boaz. After waiting for nearly seven weeks, she received an instruction from her mother-in-law, Naomi. What was that instruction? Essentially, Naomi instructed her to wait some more! In Ruth 3:18, Naomi told Ruth, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.” Meanwhile, while Ruth waited, Boaz was acting as her kinsman-redeemer, working out the details of her redemption!

And so, as Pentecost season is upon us, we are reminded that we are in a time of waiting. Our season of waiting is not a time to sit idle, just as Ruth continued to serve in the field while she waited. Likewise, we remain about the King’s business while we await the return of our Redeemer. The three fall feasts which are yet to be fulfilled remind us of the reason why we are waiting. During the three fall feasts, namely the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles, we look ahead to the wedding phase of our marriage to the Messiah, known in Hebrew as the “nissuin.” One day the trumpet will sound, and He will carry away His Bride to dwell with Him in His Tabernacle! For this reason, the Fall Feasts symbolize the phase of when He will marry us once and for all and carry us away to abide with Him eternally. The etymology of the “nissuin” phase comes from a Hebrew word meaning to “lift away” or to “carry away.” Praise the Lord!

So let us wait for Him, and let us be about the King’s business as we wait. Whether you observe Pentecost according to the Gregorian calendar or the Hebrew calendar, or whether you have never observed the feast at all, remember to thank Him for the marriage contract that He upheld for you and the down payment of the Holy Spirit that He gave to you as a bride price. Most importantly, remember to look up, for your redemption draws nigh!

 

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If you would like more information about Javan, he and his wife have a ministry called Javareg Ministries. 
 

Thoughtful Decisions

The very last chapter of the book of 1 Kings has a story about Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, going down to visit Ahab, the King of Israel. There was finally peace between the two divided Kingdoms and it had been three years since any war against Syria.. While he was visiting there, Ahab invited Jehoshaphat to go and take back some land that the Syrians had not returned to them. Jehoshaphat said, "I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses". Basically, he said, "I'm with you, buddy".

 

Then, Jehoshaphat suggests to inquire of the Lord first. Ahab proceeds to gather 400 of the prophets to ask them if he should go up against Ramoth-Gilead to battle. They all said yes, "go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king."

 

Something didn't settle right with Jehoshaphat; there was not a complete peace about going. The power of great numbers and the persuasion of the prophets was not enough to calm the lack of peace in Jehoshaphat's heart. Something just didn't seem right. Everyone said yes to the plan, why should he be doubting? Jehoshaphat asks if there were any other prophets besides these. Ahab replies, "Yes, there is Micaiah, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good concerning me, but evil." 

 

This is a red flag! Ahab was taking advise from people who would agree with him. He was avoiding the one who he knew would probably disagree with him. How many of us are guilty of this? I know I have been. If you have kids, you know this is true. We grow up with this human instinct of wanting our own way and it being approved by others. How many kids go to mom because they know dad would say no? How many kids go to dad because they know mom will say no?  How many people search for friends or leaders or pastors who will agree with them and their side of the story - or their own moral standard of living? How many people will avoid the person they know might question their choice of the one they want to marry? Maybe there's differences in a political position? Do we seek approval from only the people we know will agree with us? Or do we really want to know what God has to say? Maybe God is in agreement with some of our decisions, but a lot of times, we make decisions on our own and seek council from whom we want to receive it. These are some very, very heavy questions that force us to make Thoughtful Decisions. 

 

The story goes on and it does not turn out favorable for Ahab. What stood out to me most here is the red flag I just raised. This definitely challenges me to make wise decisions; to make Thoughtful Decisions. It challenges me to seek God's council even though I may not like it; even though it might mean I'll have to sacrifice my "desire". God is love and he wants us to experience the Abundant Life Jesus came to give us. To be able to have that, it includes listening to His voice.

 

Even though we may have made an "unthoughtful decision" in the past, God still speaks to us through the stormy weather we got ourselves into. John 10:4 says, "the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out." It doesn't matter what situation we find ourselves in, if Jesus is our Shepherd, he will help us get through the storm. In some cases, our decision may have bound us to someone. When we listen to the Lord with a humble heart and follow His leading, he will give us a peace that surpasses all understanding. He will guide us through the storm. He will lead us out of the turbulence we've brought upon ourselves. God did not cause the storm we got ourselves into, but he will help us through it if we listen to Him because "all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

 

It is our responsibility to listen to His voice in order to make Thoughtful Decisions that will allow us to live the Abundant Life and free us from having to experience some of the storms we sometimes put ourselves in. 

 

Let's stop, listen, and make Thoughtful Decisions. 

 

A Word from the Past

About three weeks ago I was reading in 1 Kings chapter 13 and could not continue. Has that ever happened to you? There was something there that triggered my spirit and whispered, "Stop, wait, I have something to teach you!"

 

For two weeks I read the whole context of Chapters 11 through 14 about Jeroboam's life over and over agian. There were many verses and passages that jumped out at me, but one in particular I could identify with more than the others at that moment. It was 1 Kings 13:33, 

"After this thing, Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places; whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places." 

It's a sobering thought to have the life of Jeroboam speak to you. eek! There were a couple of things in this verse alone that stood out, but I will focus on the first one where it says, "...Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again..."

 

The context of this story starts in 1 Kings 11:38 where he received a Word from the Lord through a prophet. He was to become King over 10 tribes of Israel and if he followed God the way David did, he would be with him and, in a sense, make his name great. 

 

Through a series of events and years later after not following God's instructions at all, a Man of God came to Jeroboam's worship place (ch. 13) and prophesied against the altar that Jeroboam had built. This offended Jeroboam and he ordered the Man of God to be taken away. As he "put forth his hand against [the Man of God]", it "dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him" (v.4) and the altar fell apart just as the Man of God had prophesied.

 

Now, desperate and recognizing the truth, Jeroboam pleaded to the Man of God to pray for him to be healed. He was, and out of what I see as gratitude, he invited the Man of God to his house and offered to reward him. The Man of God refused the invitation because of the Word he received from the Lord himself (another teaching for later), and went on his way back home.

 

The story in Chapter 13 continues about the Man of God and how he dies. The Man of God is no longer present; he no longer has any influence on Jeroboam; he has left and is no longer part of Jeroboam's life. Here is where it says,

"After this thing, Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places..."

Once the Man of God was no longer present in Jeroboam's life, he went back to what he had been doing before. He realized what he was doing was wrong, but now there was no spiritual guidance in his life. 

 

I can remember a time in my life when one of my mentors was no longer present; he had gone on to be with the Lord and I thought, "What am I going to do now? Who will I be able to receive guidance from?". Very valid questions for someone who is growing and learning that he cannot depend on a mentor, a pastor, a teacher, his leaders, or his parents to be the ones to continually guide him and help him make decisions. We need to learn that we have everything we need in order to develop that personal, intimate relationship with Jesus. 

 

How many times have we received a Word from the Lord or a conviction about something and the impact of that Word wears away? Maybe that impact came from someone in authority over us. What is a Word from the Lord we have received that has now become A Word from the Past?

 

Jeroboam's Word from the Lord through the Man of God quickly became A Word from the Past after the Man of God disappeared.

 

How do we prevent a Word from the Lord from becoming a Word from the Past?

 

I believe it starts with humility. Recognizing that we need Jesus and to develop an intimate, personal relationship with Him that leads to a genuine friendship. His Word is powerful and relevant for today. His Word is powerful and relevant for tomorrow. It is so exciting to open the Word and have the Lord show us what he wants to say each day. As our love for our friend Jesus grows, we will want to spend more and more time with Him. Someone once said, "The Bible is the only book in History where the Author shows up when you read it."

If I could throw another angle at this and say it is an important principle for us not only as individuals who receive a Word, but as disciplers as well. What are we teaching? Are we giving people truths only or are we helping them find those truths in the Word on their own with the help of the Holy Spirit? If we continue to neglect teaching how to "eat" the Word, we will be forming followers of ourselves who, when we're gone and no longer around, will go hungry.

 

Many of us have heard the famous proverb: "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime." While this proverb is not in the Bible, the concept is still biblical. 

Let's not let the Word of the Lord we receive today become A Word from the Past.

The Secret Place

At the beginning of January when we were in Puerto Vallarta sending off family that had visited during Christmas and New Year's, I went to a café in the morning to have some coffee and sit and read. That is my secret place, coffee and the Word! I get excited every time I open the Word because I'm constantly hearing the Lord's voice speaking to me.

That January 7 morning, I went to the coffee shop a couple blocks from the hotel and sat down in an enclosed side room where people can sit and read. I was looking forward to some quiet time to listen to the voice of the Lord as I read. Quietness was nowhere to be found in that room. The music was loud, the fans made lots of noise, and the three Americans at the table next to me were talking as if I was part of the conversation. They were having a good old time talking about their apartments, their kids, when they were going back to the states, and their dogs...their dogs that were with them in the cafe. Yes, and they were barking sharply as other dogs walked by outside the glass wall and door. All three of them had their dogs with them. I was tempted to leave, but I thought, "No, I'm going to stay and see what the Lord shows me."

I sat there reading 1 Kings 6:1-10 about Solomon building the temple. Most of the passage deals with the measurements of the rooms, windows, etc. When I cannot see anything that jumps out to me right away, I ask the Lord, "How is this information so important that it made the pages of scripture?". Every time I've asked that, He shows me something. This time, it was in verse 7...

"And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither; so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was in building."

How ironic! I was in an obnoxiously loud cafe with sounds I've never heard in any other cafe and this is the verse that jumped out at me. Solomon did not allow the noise of "neither hammers nor axe nor any tool of iron" be heard inside the temple area.

The Lord showed me that it doesn't necessarily have to be quiet "outside" for Him to speak to you on the "inside". Our temple (body) can be "quiet" on the inside no matter what kind of noise is surrounding us. 

That spoke volumes to me. 

Don't allow the "noise" of this world (actual noise, circumstances, people, worries, job, etc.) to distract you from spending time with him in The Secret Place. What the enemy wants is for us to not have quality time to spend with our Lord. He knows that if we do, He's in trouble. He's already been defeated, but he wants us to believe he's not. Unfortunately, I think he's convicted many of us of that in the church today.

It is in The Secret Place that the Lord speaks to our quiet hearts.

Keeping the Word Fresh

This is part of a message I've been sharing with people lately. 

 

A few weeks ago I was reading in 1 Kings 2. I came across a passage that caught my attention and, as usual, I asked the Lord, "why is this passage important enough to have made it in the Bible?". He usually responds to me and shows me something that ministers to my heart.

The passage is 1 Kings 2:36-46, where King Solomon calls Simei to come and build a house for himself in Jerusalem and to not leave the area. Solomon's dad, King David, had just warned him about Simei that he might not be the most trustworthy person for what he had done to him in 2 Samuel 16. David spared Simei's life when he came to him and repented (2 Samuel 19). Now, on his death bed, David tells Solomon that through his wisdom, he will know how to handle this guy (1 Kings 2:8,9).

Three years after King Solomon spoke to Simei, Simei's servants fled to Gath. Simei went after them and to bring them back to his house. Now, word got to Solomon and he called Simei again to confront him and in the end, had him killed for disobeying.

There is SO MUCH in this passage we can draw from. Not only this passage, but 2 Samuel 16 and 19 as well that deal with Simei. But, what caught my attention here is that the King's Word lost it's impact in Simei's life after three years. Apart from running after something (his servants) that he depended on or wanted for himself, the reason he left was that the Word of the King did not have the same affect on his life after time.

The longer we leave the Word of God on the shelf, it will have the same impact as the King's words on Simei. It is so important to keep in the Word. 

Joshua 1:8 "...meditate [on the word] day and night..."

Psalm 119:11 "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

Psalm 119:105 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." 

Again, there is so much in this passage, but this short section spoke loud these words: