Solomon loved the LORD and followed all the instructions of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local altars. - 1 Kings 3:3
How do we show our love for the Lord? Will it be written of us that we loved the Lord and followed him “except . . .”? Nobody’s perfect, that is true, yet some exceptions should be excepted! Sometimes we pamper ourselves, allowing too much spiritual leeway. We could and should show our love to the Lord more by dealing with our “Solomon tendencies.”
Solomon excelled as no other king before or since—but there were some “exceptions” in his life. “Solomon loved many foreign women. . . . They turned his heart to worship their gods instead of trusting only in the Lord his God, as his father, David, had done” (1 Kings 11:1, 4). Little by little throughout his long life, Solomon allowed himself the indulgence of exceptions.
Whether it be the opposite sex, material possessions, wealth, fame, success, or anything else, each of us has to deal with our own “Solomon self.” It’s easy to let things slip little by little. A little flirting here, a little self-indulgence there, and the evil one establishes a beachhead in our thinking and in our disciplines. It’s when we let go of godliness and hold fast to ungodliness that we lose direction and let others take control of our lives. Erosion in dearly held values often begins almost imperceptibly with a seemingly small decision. God will help us keep alert to the dangers and notice each evil incursion. If we persist in listening to and obeying his word, we will hear his still, small voice reminding us, “No exceptions.”
For Further Study: 1 Kings 3:1-15
Excerpted from The One Year Devotions for Women, Copyright ©2000 by Jill Briscoe. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
For more from Jill Briscoe, please visit TellingtheTruth.org.
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