| Day 297: Read today's devotional on Bible Gateway. The Foolishness of a Wise KingThe Lord was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. He had warned Solomon specifically about worshiping other gods, but Solomon did not listen to the Lord's command. So now the Lord said to him, "Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants. But for the sake of your father, David, I will not do this while you are still alive. I will take the kingdom away from your son. And even so, I will not take away the entire kingdom; I will let him be king of one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, my chosen city."
(1 Kings 11:9-13) ReflectSolomon didn't turn away from God all at once or in a brief moment. His spiritual coldness started with a small departure from God's laws with his alliance with Egypt's Pharaoh and marriage to the daughter of Pharaoh (1 Kings 3:1). See Deuteronomy 7:1-3 for the command against making alliances and intermarriage. Over the years, that "little" sin grew until it resulted in Solomon's downfall. Solomon's powerful and glorious kingdom could have been blessed for all time; instead, it was approaching its end. Solomon had God's promises, guidance, and answers to prayer, and yet he allowed sin to remain all around him. Eventually it corrupted him so much that he was no longer interested in God. Verse 1 of Psalm 127, written by Solomon, says, "Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted." Solomon had begun by laying the foundation with God, but he did not follow through in his later years. As a result, he lost everything. It is not enough to get off to a right start in building our marriage, career, or church on God's principles; we must remain faithful to God to the end (Mark 13:13). God must be in control of our lives from start to finish. RespondA little sin can be the first step in turning away from God. We must never let any sin go unchallenged. In your life, is an unchallenged sin spreading like a deadly cancer? Don't excuse it. Confess this sin to God, and ask him for strength to resist this temptation. |
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