The LORD was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10 He had warned Solomon specifically about worshiping other gods, but Solomon did not listen to the LORD’s command.
1 Kings 11:9-10
(On the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, he even built a pagan shrine for Chemosh, the detestable god of Moab, and another for Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites.)
It's very sad to read that Solomon, whom the Lord had blessed with such great wisdom and wealth, ended his days with his heart turned away from God.
It seems wisdom deserted him when he "married" 700 wives and added 300 extras from foreign tribes.
With so much going on via his sexual activity, it's no wonder that his devotion to the One True God was side lined.
There are many snares that await us on the road of faith. One of the most subtle trials is to be blessed with material wealth and power or perhaps pornography on tap via the Internet.
We might say that we would never erect shrines to other gods, like Solomon did. Yet we have to keep a careful check on our focus. It's not always sculptured idols that divert our attention from the true and living God.
What do our thoughts rest on? Where is our devotion focussed?
Jesus warned about losing our first love in Revelation 2:4-5
“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.
It's important to take the pulse and temperature check on our heart's love for Jesus.
Have I fallen from that first furnace-hot love for Him?
Prayer
Father God please keep my heart from turning away from you in my latter years. Refocus me on Jesus and the great Hope of Salvation through the Cross and only the Cross. Please deliver me from erecting other gods in my life.
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