Solomon's Mistake

 

Remember this.  When people choose to withdraw far from a fire, the fire continues to give warmth, but they grow cold.  When people choose to withdraw far from light, the light continues to be bright in itself but they are in darkness.  This is also the case when people withdraw from God.  ~Augustine
 

Have you figured out yet that God doesn’t need our help?  He is capable of taking care of each and every one of us without any help from us.  Sometimes it is hard for me to wrap my mind around that thought.  If he clothes the very birds of the air and provides food for them, why do we think he will not provide for us?

Part of the problem is that we want more of what the world has to offer.  The majority of the time God knows that what the world has to offer will not be good for us but we pursue it anyway.  The thing is He is not necessarily going to stop us when we pursue whatever it is we think we can’t live without. 

This always makes me think of Solomon.  Solomon had it all and he started out so well in the beginning.  God told Solomon to ask for whatever he wanted and God would give it to him.  Remember, Solomon didn’t ask for wealth, he asked for discernment in administering justice (the ability to distinguish between right and wrong).   God also told him he would give him what he did not ask for, wealth and honor. 

Solomon had a problem.  He had an eye for the ladies, but God had told him not to intermarry into the other nations because they would turn Solomon’s heart to their gods.  Can you imagine having God come talk to you twice and you still don’t believe what He says?  I guess we can imagine it because it happens to each of us every day.  God may be speaking to us right now and unless we work out our soul muscle we won’t hear what He has to say to us either.   The sad part about the story of Solomon was he lost the very thing he had asked God for, the ability to distinguish between right and wrong.

  Prayer for the Day:  Heavenly Father, I am guilty of pursuing the things of this world.  If you know the number of hairs on my head why is it so hard for me to understand that you can and will provide for me?  When my trust and faith in You falter Father, I pray that You will get my attention by whatever means it takes to draw me back to You.

      

Scripture: “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But 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?”  The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.  So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice,  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.  Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor —so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.  And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” 1 Kings 3:7-14