Unheeded Warnings

Scripture: And this house will become a heap of ruins. Everyone passing by it will be astonished and will hiss, and they will say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ Then they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the Lord their God who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore the Lord has brought all this disaster on them.’ 1 Kings 9:8-9

Observation: God gives a clear, black and white decision to Solomon - if he observes God's teaching as David had, his kingdom will be secure; if he turns away, his kingdom and all of Israel and the new temple will be destroyed. Keep in mind David wasn't perfect, so this isn't about doing the impossible by living a sinless life. This is about keeping God in the center of your life and in your heart, and striving to follow the law.

We know what happens. Solomon fails, upon his death the kingdom divides, and like that the descendants of David lose the nation. Eventually, his kingly line is ended, the temple is destroyed, the nation completely lost, and the people thrown into exile.

Application: God doesn't ask trick questions. God doesn't create a riddle for us to figure out and guess wrong. Instead, God gives us very clear options. For Solomon, it was "choose to follow me and prosper, or turn away and be destroyed." Solomon (and the people of Israel) chose the latter. For me, it is "believe in Jesus following his teaching and receive eternal life, or do not believe and receive eternal damnation."

I believe, but does my behavior reflect that? I don't mean I need to be perfect, but am I improving in my following of the teach of Jesus? Am I increasing in love for others, being merciful to others, seeking justice for all, showing humility in the site of God, at reflecting all these things in a spirit of faith and hope in order to show others the truth of Jesus? Am I going to others to show them Jesus?

For the first time in my life, I think the answer is "yes, I'm improving." I am making progress. I am not there yet! However, I am on the path, running the race, keeping my eye on the prize, focused on Jesus in my daily walk, and listening to the holy spirit in daily decisions.

Prayer: Lord, I know I need to clean up parts of my life. I know I sin daily ... hourly. Please forgive me for those sins, and continue to help me develop a right heart. At the same time, thank you for aiding me in developing new attitudes, capabilities, skills, and understanding of your ways. I genuinely enjoy succeeding in your eyes! Your ways bring joy to my heart. May I remember that in all ways when I have black-and-white choices to make about what to do next every day. Amen.