June 10, 2026; 1 Kings 8

Daily Dose of Hope June 10, 2026   Scripture: 1 Kings 8   Prayer:  Lord Jesus, We rejoice in you.  We praise your name.  You are the Alpha and the Omega, the one who was, and is, and is to come.  We cannot possibly express our gratitude in words.  You have offered us mercy but you have also given us freedom.  Thank you for that.  Help us live like free people.  Help us demonstrate your love and grace to others who cross our path.  Help us see people through your eyes.  We love you, Lord.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible plan.  For the summer, we are digging into 1 & 2 Kings.  Today's reading is 1 Kings 8. This is a very theologically significant chapter so if you didn't get a chance to read the whole narrative, I would encourage you to do so now.  We see God's promise to Abraham, Moses, and David fulfilled with the dedication of the temple.  We see the normal pomp and circumstance of a religious building dedication but there is also the amazing presence of God, Solomon's genuine prayers, and words of both encouragement and warning.  The Ark of the Covenant is brought into the Inner Sanctuary.  This was a high and holy moment for sure.  The chapter today discusses the presence of God filling the Holy Place in the newly built temple.  The priests couldn't finish their service because the glory of God was so powerful.  Obviously, we don't experience God's glory in the form of a cloud (I guess we could but I personally haven't.)  We do experience the powerful glory of God in other ways.  Because of the Holy Spirit, we can be assured that God's presence is always with us, closer than our very breath.  In fact, there is no place we can go where God's presence is not.  That being said, there are specific times in our lives in which we experience God's glory and presence in very real ways.  These are times in which God's beauty, grace, and manifold goodness show up in undeniable ways and we know, "Wow, I've just experienced God."  I have experienced God's glory in various ways.  There are some times in which I'm sure God is showing up but I'm simply not paying attention.  Other times, it is unmistakable–an answered prayer, a healing, a spiritual conversation or prayer with a stranger, special time with loved ones, a powerful worship service in which God's Spirit is almost palpable, hearing God's still-small voice, or even in the beauty of nature.  When did you last experience God's glory?  Share this with someone today. Blessings, Pastor Vicki