When Words Are Many

A Psalm of David
Psalm 4:4
"Don't sin by letting anger control you.  Think about it over night and remain silent." NLT
"In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent."  NIV

I appreciate reading these two versions of Psalm 4:4 side by side.  It brings everything together for me.  When I feel as though I've been wronged, it is very easy for me to call up a friend and vent.  In my anger I spout off all the reasons why I have been ill treated and why, in fact, I am in the right.... or so I would like to think.  When anger causes the action, sin is rarely absent.  

Proverbs 10:19  "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise."


Have you heard the phrase "just sleep on it for a night"?  Well, as hard as it may be, I have now found scripture to back this statement up!  Giving good thought and reason to a situation always involves the Lord.  Pray, pray, and pray some more!  Read, read, and read the scriptures more!
After sufficient time of delving in yourself, allowing your temper to cool, and giving the Lord time to work on your heart, if it is still unresolved in your mind, I also believe it is Biblical to go to someone who is mature in their faith and will give you fair counsel on the issue.  It can help give us a better understanding and view of the situation.

Proverbs 19:20  "Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise."


Proverbs 12:15  "The way of the fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice."


I like how the New International Version says to search your heart and be silent.  I need to first examine why it is I feel so wronged.  Sometimes the thing that drives us crazy about someone else is a trait that we find in ourselves.  And even if this isn't the case, I have to remember that there are two sides to a coin.  Perhaps that person feels wronged by me?  Or why does the other person feel they are so right and I am wrong?  Examine all sides and give a fair assessment.

Luke 6:41  "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"

Father, help my words to be few.  When in a hard situation, give me the wisdom to go first to YOU, and then to seek the counsel of someone you've put in my life.  Give me an attitude of love and grace, Lord.  Keep my heart in check.  See if their is any offensive way in me and correct it, I pray.  Thank you for your grace and for never giving up on me.  

He Turns One

My baby boy is one year old today.  I have to admit it makes me a little sad.  No more babies will be hearing my heartbeat from inside or coming home from the hospital for the first time.  I'm not really ready to let go of this baby stage.  My arms already ache to hold the infant from my womb in it's small form.  Yet, I rejoice to see the beautiful little boy he is becoming!  What a gift my great God gave to me!

90.  Birthdays to celebrate God's gift of you.  Eucharisteo

My prayer is that the Lord will grow my two little boys to be strong men of God.  That their hearts would overflow with love and dedication to the One who created their inmost beings.  The teen years will come and I pray they will be bold in their faith and stand up for what is right.  That no worldly influences would mar their minds and hearts.  That in retrospect regrets won't be what they dwell on.  I pray they look first to God and second to us as their parents.  I pray they have compassionate, honest, and passionate hearts for the people around in light of God's calling for their lives.

Proverbs 22:6  "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."


Father God, be the center of their lives.  Do not allow the Devil a foothold in their lives.  Give us wisdom to be the parents you call us to be.  Thank you, Father, that you are faithful.  Thank you that you love them more than we ever could!  Thank you for the incredible gift of two beautiful little boys.

He Can Not Be Thwarted

Psalm 146
"Praise the Lord.


Praise the Lord, O my soul
I will praise the Lord all my life.
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.


Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.


Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them- the Lord, who remains faithful forever.
He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.
The Lords sets prisoners free, the Lords gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.  


The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations.


Praise the Lord."


I love the picture of God's sovereign nature laid out here.  He was, is, and is to come and everything is in his hands.  His love for his creation is tangible.  God has a plan and it will be seen through to the end.  He hasn't lost hold of anything.  Satan roams the earth seeking ways to thwart God, but do not fear his evil plans, for God reigns supreme!

We can praise him in the midst of troubles!

Revelation 1:8  " 'I am the Alpha and the Omega.' says the Lord God, 'who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.' "


Isaiah 43:13 "Yes, and from the ancient days I am he.  No one can deliver out of my hand.  When I act, who can reverse it?"


Proverbs 19:21 "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."


Matthew 6:25-27  "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow, or reap, or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"


Psalm 84:11  "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless."


John 16:33  "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world." 

The world promises to be a challenging, heartbreaking, and sinful place.  There will be trials of many kinds, but as believers we have hope!  Matthew 6:34 tells us not to worry about tomorrow.  Concentrate on today for it holds enough.  When it seems too much, and fears pile on, lean on the Father - the one cares for you more than anything else - and he will give you rest.  His yoke is easy and his burden is light (Matthew 11:30).  Stay close to him.  Do not allow events of this world to strike fear in your heart.  If you are a child of God, you have a much greater peace and celebration awaiting you.  HE is bigger than all your troubles.

Solomon On Behalf Of Israel

1 Kings 8:1-61

Solomon is before the temple which he built for the Lord and has his arms stretched out praying to God.  It's so interesting to me how he pleads with the Lord for mercy and forgiveness on behalf of the people of Israel.  What a love he must have had for the people as he was their king.  And what respect he held for God!  He gives different situations and examples and then ends with... "when they pray to the Lord toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause." And then ends with verse 52: "May your eyes be open to your servant's plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you...." I believe this shows what a holy fear and reverence (awe) that Solomon had for God.  We have truly lost so much of that now.  Do we plead with the Lord for his grace, mercy and forgiveness when we have done wrong by him?  Or is it just expected that God always forgives?  (Which he does when the heart truly repents.)  

It says in verse 55 that Solomon then stood after praying and blessed the whole assembly of Israel.  When I hear of people now days saying their church leader blessed them it can often entail something to the effect of praying for good things happening to them and events turning in their favor... as though they have the power...  However, this blessing that Solomon gave was basically praising God and giving thanks to Him.  And then pleading that God would keep their hearts focused on obeying and serving the Almighty.  True honor, respect, and glory and needs placed where they should be.

Dirt Smudged Laughter

Eucharisteo...
64.  Fingers clinging to my shirt
...
71.  Three legged races with my boy
...
74.  Camden's fast running legs
75.  Open-mouthed baby kisses
...
78.  Sunshine to play in
79.  Water balloons and laughter
80.  Dirt smudged cheeks
81.  Sleeping baby warm against me
82.  Band aids for little scrapes

Being a mommy is wonderful!  Making memories is the best part of my day.... and I cringe at the many times I fail to remember this and simply push through the day as a matter of survival.
One day my children will be grown.  Will my heart be filled with regret from lack of memories to pull from?  Or will an abundance of moments flood in to bring peace and joy when loneliness sets in from no more little feet pattering across the floor?
I want to make the most of every opportunity.  Not just in fun and laughter, but for their spiritual lives too.  I want my boys to remember memory verses, Bible stories, and discipline in love.  What kind of impact will be left with the hugs for scraped knees, shoulders to catch tears, and serving others in their needs?  A heart for the Lord.
May my heart mirror you, Lord.  May my life be a love song to you!  May my children be left with the example of a godly woman.  By your grace, Father.  There is no other way. 

New Life

John 1:12-13  "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."

John 3:3-6  "In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.'  
'How can a man be born when he is old?'  Nicodemus asked.  'Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!'  
Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.' "


Your salvation is not going to be obtained through your family's good deeds or beliefs.  It's your own personal choice.
You cannot pray a family member into heaven.  It's their own personal choice.
Have you hardened your heart to the Lord hoping that your father's faith will cover you in the end?  Do you try and do good deeds so that hopefully your good will outweigh your bad on the day you stand before the Lord?


The Lord is a good judge.


If your sister was murdered and the person who did it stood on trial saying, "But look at all these wonderful things I did for the poor, and all of those charities over the past ten years that I supported.  I helped at the soup kitchen a few times too.  Surely my good outweighs this one bad deed.  It was a mistake.  Can't you just have a little mercy and let me off this once?"  Would you be satisfied if the judge did a tally and decided that the person could go free because the good seemed to outweigh the bad in the judge's eyes?  No.


God's gift of salvation is free.  We can not do enough good things to earn it.  Once we have turned our lives over to Him, then our slate is wiped clean.  Jesus took the penalty for our sin upon himself.  Our penalty has been paid for!  If we reject it, then He will be the good judge.  We will pay our own debt if we say no to His gift.  Unfortunately, it isn't a one time punishment and then we get to try again.  Hell is the eternity chosen when Christ is rejected.

Romans 6:23  "For the wages of sin is death.  But the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 3:23-24  "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."


Allow the Lord to free you.

Jeremiah 29:11 " 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord.  'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' "


The awesome thing is, your life will never be the same if you surrender your heart to the one who created you and loves you with an everlasting and unchangeable love.  You will be a new creation the Bible says.  Allow Him to run your life.  Live a life of testimony for your family and friends who don't know God.  Pray for them unceasingly BEFORE they die.  Share and live your faith boldly.  You have a new hope that should be shouted from the roof tops!!!

Flawless

 

      I have to chuckle at myself sometimes.  My wonderful little 4-year-old is doing a terrific job on memorizing verses.  One of them is Proverbs 30:5, "(1.)Every word of God is flawless; (2)he is a shield to those who take refuge in him."  I came across this verse today as I sat down to have my quiet time.  And it struck me - how do I view God's word?  If it is flawless, and I believe that, then why do I doubt God sometimes?  I asked my boy what he thought about the verse.
     "I think it means goodness," he says.  In the dictionary one definition says that goodness means '(1)excellence of quality' and another says it means '(2)generosity'.  I would say he defined the verse quite well.  
   
     Psalm 1:1-3  "Blessed is the man who doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked... but his delight is in the law of the Lord.  On his law he meditates day and night..."
     James 4:8  "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."
     Ephesians 2:19  "So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God."
     Psalm 23:3  "He restores my soul.  He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
     Isaiah 64:8  "Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay and you are our potter; and we are all the work of your hand."
     Psalm 116:5  "The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion."
     Luke 11:9  "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
     John 3:16  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son.  That whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."
Proverbs 21:30  "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord."


I have faith and assurance through the Lord.  The Word is alive and I can completely trust in what my God has said.

Eucharisteo

My list of Eucharisteo:
...
6.  The sun shining brightly
7.  The sparkle of snow glimmering
...
10.  Hot showers
11.  A friend I can call for no reason at all
12.  Chocolate cake
...
28.  Pretty songbirds
...
35.  A God who knows all and sees all
36.  Parents who taught me modesty
37.  My boys giggling in the bathtub
...
47.  Little cheeks to squish and kiss
48.  God's Word to help me parent
49.  Elias' shy head bow and twinkly smile
50.  Small hands picking flowers for Mama
...

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  "Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."


Ephesians 5:19-20  "...Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."


With two little boys my day can easily become cluttered with the messiness of life.  The to-do lists, the discipline, the teaching, the laughing, the cleaning of messes, and on it goes... until I forget what my day is supposed to consist of.  Ann makes such wonderful points in her book, 'One Thousand Gifts'.   Here are a few things that have really stuck out to me this week:

"Stay calm, enter the moment, give thanks."
"It's only the amateurs - and that I have been and it's been ugly - who think slow and urgent are contradictory, opposite poles."
"Is this what the life experts know?  That in Christ, urgent means slow.  That in Christ, the most urgent necessitates a slow and steady reverence."
"Life is dessert - too brief to hurry.  You don't wolf it down."

"...eucharisteo precedes the miracle."

Matthew 14:19-20  "Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves... They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over."


Psalm 69:30  "I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving."


I dare to suggest that 99.9% of the time, in order to live fully right where you are, your heart is what needs adjustment - not your circumstances.

Father God, you are a giving, merciful Father!  You gave the greatest gift that could ever be given.  You are not a God the consists of only rules.  You love to see your children smile!  Keep my heart in tune with this, Lord.  I know I fail to see your miracles and blessings when I forget to be thankful for what has already been given.  You are beautiful and magnificent!  Give me eyes to see and a heart to recognize, I pray.

One Thousand Gifts

One Thousand Gifts... One thousand things to be thankful for.  One thousand things to praise God for.  One thousand things to keep your humility.  One thousand things to keep your heart right.  One thousand things to give proof of God's goodness.

My hope is in YOU!  We are to live in hope and with great joy for God is our victory!  America is overflowing with all that we could ever need and then some.  In our bounty, however, it seems we only find what we still do not have.  The more we have the more we want.

1 Timothy 6:9  "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction." 

With the way the world is it is so easy to want more.  Computers track what you look at so that the ads come up with things you may want.  Commercials flood every program with many "must-have" items.  Companies mail out flyer after flyer in hopes that they will perk your interest.  Pinterest is wonderful for getting ideas on how to decorate, crafts to do with your kids, new recipes to try, etc...  If we don't keep our hearts in check, however, the "I want" attitude sets in pretty heavily.

My mother-in-law recommended a book to me called "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp.  It is a very inspiring book.  I have now began writing my own thankful journal.  My goal is to write one thousand things that I am thankful for and then to keep on writing.  When our attitude is humble in true thanksgiving for "every good and perfect gift..." (James 1:17), whether big or small, that is when we find true joy and contentment.

Feeling down in the dumps?  Get out a notebook, journal, or whatever works for you, and leave a 'thankful journal' open on your table at all times; bring it with you to the store.  Write down every little gift, every little thing that makes you smile, every small detail that you can be thankful for.  These small things put together are what brings joy to life.  The only way to make it complete, of course, is to know Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  A personal relationship with God is what will bring you peace.  Humble yourself and turn to him.  His gift of salvation is free.  You can have new life in Christ!

 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."  Romans 3:23

This can be your number one on your thankful journal.

In Spirit and in Truth

"Everything I once held dear, I count but lost..."  Hillsong United
"I will fear no evil for my God is with me..."  Matt Redman
"Seek you, Father God, I seek you.  You are where my treasure lies..."  Adie
"I hold onto this hope...There will be a day, with no more tears..."  Jeremy Camp
"All I need is you.  All I need is you, Lord..."  Hillsong United
"In the arms of Your mercy I find rest."  Casting Crowns
"Your grace is enough.  Your grace is enough for me..."  Chris Tomlin
"I want to live my life for You, Lord.  Lord, for You I want to live my life..."  Third Day
"Beautiful Lord, Awesome and mighty.  I'm captured by this love I see...."  Adie

We sing the lyrics to worship songs every Sunday in church, to the radio as we drive to work, in our homes with the children.  But do we think about what it is we are saying?

John 4:24  "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
Psalm 98:1 & 4  "Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things...Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music."
Psalm 100:2  "Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs."

When we worship in song, we are praising our Holy God, the Almighty, the Great I Am, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the God of the universe!  God looks at the heart.  He doesn't care if your lips are moving, if you are standing or sitting, if you play on a worship team or join in singing from the congregation, or if you're driving in a car looking silly to those driving next to you.  Do we sing adoration to our Holy Father?

Father God, give me heart that is obsessed with you.  Let no word of praise come from my mouth if it is not done in true worship.  Keep my heart in check where ever I go, Father.  I want to sing and glorify you!

Encourage or Self-destruct?

   

     1 Kings 3 :16-28  Two women lived together and both had newborn babies.  One baby ended up dying during the night.  Filled with what I can only imagine to be utter grief and devastation, the mother took her baby and swapped him for the other woman's living baby before the morning dawned.  The woman awoke and after close observation of the baby she realized that it wasn't hers.  The two women went before King Solomon.  The king declared that the living baby be cut in half and one half be given to each woman.  - Now remember, the Lord granted Solomon wisdom in governing his people. - The true mother of the living baby "was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, 'Please, my lord, give her the living baby!  Don't kill him!'  But the other said, 'Neither I nor you shall have him.  Cut him in two!' "  Solomon gave the baby to the compassionate mother knowing that she was the true mother.
     The second woman was so full of bitterness and grief from losing her own baby that she was willing to take away and rob her friend of the same thing she lost.  This is an extreme example, but I wonder how realistic it is to my own life - to everyone's lives.  There are smaller things that happen that can have the same effect on us.  If you are familiar with sayings like:  If I can't have it, then nobody can have it! OR  If Mama's not happy, ain't nobody happy!  then you know exactly what I mean.  Not exactly the attitude God wants us to have.
     Proverbs 14:30  "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones."  
     We can not allow bitterness, anger, envy, hatred, or discontentment to rule our actions and thoughts.  We must be self-controlled, merciful, humble, joyful, gracious, and loving.
     Philippians 2:3  "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."
     James 1:2  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds."  Most of the trials we face day to day are incredibly insignificant compared to what the Lord did for us and what we have to look forward to in heaven.  The trials we face will either break us down or build us up.  We can choose to allow self-destruction to take over through our bitter attitudes or healing to come forth.  God will use every situation for his glory.  The things we deal with and suffer through are the things God will use to change lives - including our own lives.  We make the choice.
     Am I open to allowing God to use me in my failures, triumphs, and hardships to mentor and encourage another person?  It may be the very things that brings another person to Christ.  I don't want to miss out on that!  I must remain eternally minded and Biblically focused no matter what the trials.  God knows all about my fears, and desires.  He's not oblivious to what is going on.  He carries me through this life.  Think about the 'Footprints' saying.  When you only see one set of prints in the sand, and you feel like God has left your side, remember that they are Gods prints, not yours, because He is carrying you through.

Pray For Wisdom

   
    Solomon ruled in David's place as king.  One night the Lord came to him in a dream saying that whatever he asked for would be given to him.  Solomon answered in 1 Kings 3:7-9, "...I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.  Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.  So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.  For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"  God was very pleased with Solomon's answer and in verse 12 the Lord says, "I will do what you have asked.  I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be."  Now, because of his heart the Lord also chose to bless Solomon with riches, honor, and "...if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life." 
     I truly believe that God delights in blessing his children.  When our hearts are aligned with His then the fruit of our labor is from His hand also.  The awesome part?  We can then give him glory for everything!

So Great is His Love

Psalm 103:11-12 "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

We don't have to sit in sadness as we dwell on and relive the past sin in our lives over and over again.  We have freedom in the Lord!  His love for us is unchangeable, unimaginable, and unrelenting.  His mercy, grace, and forgiveness is something that we will never completely understand.  It truly in unfathomable.  Why would God, in all of his glory, holiness, and majesty, love us so much?  Why forgive us and give the ultimate sacrifice in place of us?  We are full of sin and it was our sin that nailed him to that cross.  He didn't have to, but he chose to.  His love is amazing!

Psalm 139 says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  We are told his thoughts of us outnumber the grains of sand.  To him, we are precious and beautiful.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son.  That whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life."  He is the bread of life.  There is nothing we can do to earn his love.  He created us and desires to keep us close to him.  Our salvation is a gift to us.

A King's Place

   

     King David was about to die.  Adonijah decided he should be the one to take his father's place on the throne and took it upon himself to make it happen without his father's permission or blessing.  One problem - David had already promised Bathsheba that her child, Solomon, would rule in his place one day.  After the problem was taken care of, and David was about to die, he gave a charge to Solomon.  1 Kings 2:2-4 says, "So be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires:  Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go, and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: 'If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.' "
     I have to admit, I am taken aback by what David says following this.  He basically goes on to tell Solomon that he should take revenge on a couple of people - people that David had mercy on.  (1 Kings 2:8-9) "...When he (Shimei) came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord: 'I will not put you to death by the sword.'  But now, do not consider him innocent.  You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him.  Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood."  It was similar with Joab.
     David had kept his promise to not harm, but then expected Solomon to retaliate instead.  This makes me wonder if it was pride and anger on David's part or if God's hand was in it.  It doesn't seem like revenge is something the Lord would want.  In regards to Joab, my Bible commentary says that "To shed blood in peacetime as if in battle (vs. 5) was a criminal act.  Even though Joab had acted without David's knowledge, the king was still responsible for his commander's actions.  David felt that justice should be met in Joab's case, but didn't feel that he should administer it."  As far as leaving the dirty work of dealing with Shimei to Solomon, my Bible commentary say, "Though Shimei had cursed David as the king and his men fled Jerusalem, David had spared him (2 Sam. 16:5-13; 19:18-22).  Now a new king would be tested.  It was shred political strategy for Solomon to establish his power by avenging his father's honor.  Nevertheless, Solomon acted justly.  He did not inflict the long-delayed punishment until Shimei openly disobeyed his command (1 Kings 2:36-46).
    Another interesting tidbit that my father-in-law pointed out to me is that family lines were important back then.  Solomon came long after Adonijah in the family tree.  He really shouldn't have been put in the role of King.  God looks at the heart.  He knows who needs to be where.  Whether it is political power, family stance, custody battles, etc... God has set people in their place and will take care of what needs fixing so that "every knee will bow".  God be praised!