Followers

Friday, August 12, 2011

WISDOM-learned from others.

WHAT IF you were the smartest man in the world? the smartest that has ever been born?? What if you had all the money you needed and were one of the richest men ever to live?
What if you actually heard God talk to you??
How would your life be different?
Would you need God?? Would you listen to Him? Would you do what He said?

Well Solomon was this man. GOD gave him wisdom unsurpassed by any other person ever born. He gave Solomon this wisdom because when God asked him what He would like from God, Solomon asked for the wisdom to discern right from wrong to be able to rule Israel and God's people the way God wanted. And then God gave Solomon wisdom and blessed him with riches beyond his imagination.

I realize that many people who have all the money they need, who don't have to rely on anyone for their physical needs to be met, have a hard time believing that they need God. But does money buy happiness, contentment? Yes, money can buy you things, allow you to have all sorts of toys, take unbelievable vacations that bring you happiness for a time, but money cannot buy you emotional ties, cannot buy you the relationships you crave.

God gave Solomon everything; blessed Solomon with so so much. And for such a long period of time, Solomon did right in the eyes of the LORD.
In 2 Kings chapter 11, things began to change.

"King Solomon loved many foreign women...they were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites "you must not intermarry with them, because they will turn your hearts after their gods. Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had 700 wives and over 300 concubines and his wives led him astray."

OK first of all, he had over 1000 women. That in itself is PROBLEM ENOUGH!! More than enough problems. Can you imagine 1000 women fighting for his attention?? And what they must have done to try and be with him?? Kind of grosses me out.
Its difficult enough for a man or woman to always love, always be kind and patient and forgiving to their spouse day in, month in and year in and out of marriage. But 700 wives and 300 concubines?? With that many he could see them each once every three years. There is NO WAY Solomon could meet the physical, emotional and even spiritual needs of 1000 women.

But I digress. The point of this story is that God clearly spelled out that foreign women would drive Solomon away from Himself.
Why is it that we have such a hard time obeying God? When He clearly tells us something, we can rationalize ourselves to believe, "He didn't really mean me in this situation". Or we think "I will do this thing just once and then never again".
Do I , do you, really think we know more than the One who created us?
Do you think God gives us commands because He doesn't want us to have fun? That He wants us to live dull, boring lives?
Absolutely not.
John 10:10 says " I have come to give you life and life abundantly (or life to the fullest)"

Is God telling you something right now that you are putting off doing?? A very dear dear friend of mine just broke up with her boyfriend. It took her two months to do it, but she did it. It wssn't fun, and probably wasn't easy, but in the end, she obeyed God, because she knew this was the right thing to do.

Solomon asked God to give him wissom so that he would do the right thing.
Further along in 1 KINGS 11 I read:

"As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God....Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD, he did not follow the LORD completely...The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord...Solomon did not keep the Lord's command."

From what I surmise in this is that once we decide to follow our own agenda even once, can cause effects in our relationship with Our God. Once we disobey the first time, isn't it easier to do something again?

Do we settle for something good, when God desires to give us Life abundantly? otherwise known as His Best for us?.
Are their gods in my lfe that are taking my focus off Christ? Am I allowing my family, my friends, my job, my earthly treasures, my wants and my desires, to come before my obedience to the LORD??
I don't want the LORD to become angry with me because my heart was turned away from following Him first and keeping Him front and center.
Solomon was the wisest man to ever have lived and he messed up.
How does that bode for me then?
I want to learn from Solomon's life that things that look appealing can lead my heart away from God. And what i really want is to have my heart always longing after God. I want to obey Him all the time. And when I don't, I want to go immediately to Him and make things right again.
Thanks wise Solomon...I am learning from your mistakes.

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