Good morning, it’s Wednesday, May 21, 2025. Some things aren’t meant to hold weight—they’re meant to hold meaning. Sometimes it’s what stands at the entrance that speaks the loudest. Before anyone ever stepped into God’s presence, they were met with a silent message—one that still speaks to us today.
Today's Reading:
1 Kings 7; 2 Chronicles 4; Psalms 98; Romans 2
Scripture
“He set up the pillars on the porch in front of the main hall. He erected one pillar on the right side and called it Jakin; he erected the other pillar on the left side and called it Boaz.”
1 Kings 7:21 (NET)
Observation
When Solomon built the temple, he placed two massive bronze pillars at the entrance. They didn’t hold up the building—but they weren’t just decorative either. He named them Jakin (“He establishes”) and Boaz (“In Him is strength”).
They were the first things you’d see walking into the temple. Before a single prayer was prayed or sacrifice offered, you had to pass between two declarations: God is the one who establishes, and God is the one who strengthens.
Those pillars weren’t just for the temple—they’re a picture for us. They remind me that worship doesn’t start with what I bring. It starts with what He’s already done.
Application
What are the first things people see when they encounter my life or leadership? Is it my talent? My effort? Or is it something deeper?
I want the thresholds of my life to say what those pillars said: This is God’s work, not mine. This is God’s strength, not mine.
He establishes. In Him is strength.
I need the daily reminder: if God doesn’t establish it, it won’t last. If He doesn’t strengthen me, I won’t last.
He’s both my foundation and my strength. That’s not just a reminder. It’s a promise. That when I enter His presence in worship, I’ll be established and empowered by Him.
They are the pillars—and the promise.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for the pillars. Let them stand at the entrance of my heart, my leadership, and every decision I make. Don’t let me lean on what I can carry—teach me to walk between Your promises. You establish. You strengthen. And in You, I stand. Amen.
—Chris Kiriakos