2 Chronicles 2-5 – How to Accomplish Great Things


On July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong put the first footprint on the surface of the moon. Think of how insurmountable this goal must have seemed at the time.

  • It had never been done.
  • We didn’t even know if it could be done.
  • There were mountains of decisions and calculations to be made and remade.
  • There were equipment and parts to be created that had never existed before.
  • There were unknowns never encountered.
  • And all of this was done using slide rules and computers which, by today’s standards, were as archaic as the Wright brothers’ first airplane.

In 2 Chronicles chapters 2-5, Solomon undertakes a massive building project that may seem simple to us, but to Solomon, it must have seemed as overwhelming as putting a man on the moon.

How was Solomon able to accomplish this great thing with no computers and no construction equipment? Some would attribute it to wealth, authority, and power. But he did it with three basic steps:

  • “Solomon decided…” – (2 Chron. 2:1) Every great accomplishment begins with a decision to commit yourself to the task at hand.
  • “So Solomon began…” – (2 Chron. 3:1) Decisions are nothing if they are not backed up by action.
  • “So Solomon finished…” – (2 Chron. 5:1) Once you act on your decision, you must continue to act on that decision until it’s a reality.

How many people decide to do something great, but then never get around to starting? Or how many people start something great, only to give up before completing it?

So what great thing do you want to do? Whatever it is, you will never do it unless you decide to, begin to, and continue to until it’s finished.

 

If You Want A Fairytale Marriage…

I raised two daughters, and I have four grandchildren. So I’ve read my fair share of fairytales.

You would think that people would eventually outgrow fairytales, but there’s one fairytale no one seems to outgrow.

Perhaps it’s our early diet of princess and shining knight stories (thank you Disney,) but we still tend to believe that marriage should be like a fairytale.

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How To Stay Together When Others Are Coming Apart

Romantic couple on bench – Vintage photograph

As a Teaching and Counseling Pastor, I come across marriages of all shapes, sizes, ages, and stages.

There are those in the very beginning of their marriage. They have no kids, all the time in the world, and life is just one long extended date. But then there are those who’s marriage is down the road a bit. They are in the throes of raising children, battling time demands, and often living more like like room mates than spouses.

I see some who are deeply in love, while others are so distant they’re thinking of getting out. Some started their relationship officially with an elaborate and well coordinated wedding ceremony, while others had no wedding ceremony at all. They just began living together and have continued down that same ambiguous track.

In the face of all of this diversity, I find myself asking questions like…

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