Steve Prefontaine was a world-class runner who beat other runners with his incredible toughness. As Christians we are being beat down by the world and taking blow after blow for the sake of Christ. We are called to die daily and to be conformed into the image of Christ. We should grow in our toughness and allow trials to shape us.

In 1 Kings 6 the Lord came to Solomon and promised Solomon that if he observed His laws and kept His commands then the Lord would live among the Israelites and not abandon His people. Solomon knew the law, especially Deuteronomy 17 which instructed kings on how they should serve. By 1 Kings 11 Solomon had violated the law and pursued gold, foreign women and foreign gods. When we are tempted for power, money, lust, and more things that will set us apart from God, we must confess our sins and repent and turn back to Jesus.

In 1st Kings 3, God comes to Solomon in a dream and asks him to ask for whatever he wants. Solomon understood the important responsibility of leading God's people and he asked for a discerning heart to govern God's people. It says the the Lord was pleased with Solomon's ask and God blessed Solomon and gave him way more than he could have ever asked for. We tend to be trivial with our asks and we don't get in the paint with God because we don’t understand his ways however, we too have the opportunity to ask the Lord good asks that are in line with His desires for us, but we have to have a trustworthy relationship with the Lord and learn and study His Word. As we mature in the Lord, our asks will also mature.