Mini Message: 1 Kings 11: 1-10 1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: 2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. 7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. 8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. 9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, 10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. When Solomon became King the Lord asked him what he desired and He would give it to him. Many of us would have asked for health and long life, or maybe riches beyond measure. Solomon asked for wisdom. The Lord was pleased with this request and the Lord made him wiser than any man before or since. However, with all the wisdom he possessed Solomon failed to follow the Lord and followed after other gods. How can someone so wise have strayed so far? He built a House to the God of Israel yet he also built temples for the gods of his wives. Solomon, just as many of us do today, lost sight of what was important and failed to keep his eyes upon the Lord. He let cares and worries of the day separate him from God and the people of Israel would suffer for his failure to follow God. If the wisest man that ever lived can miss the mark then how can a flawed being such as myself ever hope to achieve eternal heaven? The answer is very simple. It is the grace of God freely given. The blood of Christ applied to my life every day. I will never get everything right every day. I will stumble along the road from time to time, but the beauty of serving Jesus Christ is that He frees you from the power of sin. When we come to Christ and admit that we are sinners in need of a Savior we begin a lifelong journey of submission to His will. We become students of God’s word and that Word helps us along the way. We begin to fellowship daily with Christ through prayer. As our faith begins to grow and we learn to depend on Christ in the good times so that when the bad times come we are prepared. In chapter 7 of the Book of Romans Paul writes, “23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.24 O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” In chapter 8 however he reveals the miracle that Christ brings in the heart. “8-1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:” When you follow Christ you must do so with all your heart, mind, and soul. You must be 100% committed to following Him. If we approach our spiritual life with that famous American fast food mentality we will falter and fail. Does it make us perfect, no! But through faith in Christ Jesus He will make a way where there seems to be no way. To be sure, we will have trouble along the way for that is the way of the world. A closer walk with Christ will help us to endure the storms of life.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Jul 2013 10:53:51 +0000
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