Easy Come Easy Go

Today's Reading
1 Kings Chps 4-11


Even though the Lord is initially very pleased with Solomon who chooses wisdom over riches, etc, Solomon shows us how God my bless you and then how quickly he can punish you by taking away that which he has given you.


Witness the series of events in Solomons's life as depicted in Kings:

1 Kings 6:39-7:1 (NIV)

He had spent seven years building [the Lord's temple]. It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace. 

The above verse indicates how Solomon sows the seeds of his downfall as he spends more time  building his own palace vs the Lord's temple.

1 Kings 11:1-2 (NIV)

King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter---Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. [2] They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.

...

1 Kings 11:4-6 (NIV)

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. [5] He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. [6] So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

...

1 Kings 11:9-13 (NIV)

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. [13] Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen."

For me, I need to understand how God has blessed as I have a covenant with Him that I follow Him and I am faithful to Him, He will bless me also. At the same time I need to recognize that a blessing by God is according to God's definition, not mine.  I also need to understand that God blesses me at his discretion and he can easily take away.  I need to be thankful for what I have and stay close to Him.


My Prayer: Lord, I know you have blessed me, in many ways tangible and not tangible.  Forgive me for thinking that these were through me or my own doing.  Help me truly praise you and credit you for how are solely to credit for the blessings in my life.  Help me follow you, trust you, love you and be like you.