Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Kings 6:11-13 (New Living Translation)

¹¹ Then the Lord gave this message to Solomon: ¹² “Concerning this Temple you are building, if you keep all my decrees and regulations and obey all my commands, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father, David. ¹³ I will live among the Israelites and will never abandon my people Israel.”

God is addressing King Solomon about his current building project: erecting the Temple. What does God tell Solomon about a successful building project?

• Straight corners?
• Good foundation?
• Good drainage?
• Best artwork?

Nope.

God’s criteria for Solomon seem to be off topic:

keep all my decrees and regulations and obey all my commands

Hmmm, maybe God does think about things differently from us. Maybe I should think about things differently, more like God.