Thursday, September 29, 2022

Thursday Devotional - Faithful God versus Lustful Solomon 9/29/22

When kids don’t have enough to do, what do they do? Get in trouble!!! Apparently one of my sons didn’t have enough to do the other day, so he decided to use half the bottle of hand soap and splash it on the mirror! I was furious, especially since I had just cleaned up a glass jar of salsa that my other son dropped.

After Solomon built the magnificent temple for the Lord and then built a spectacular palace for himself, he didn’t seem to have enough to do either. He got in trouble with women.

I Kings 11:1a, 4, 9-12        King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter… As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 

The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command. 11 So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. 12 Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son.

It seems Solomon’s idleness led to lust which turned him away from God. God was faithful to His promises, though, and even gave Solomon an opportunity to repent.

Instead of filling our spare time with things that are dishonoring to God and destructive to ourselves, how can you and I spend it in a way that is honoring to God?  We can ask our Faithful God to help us!

Alice