A MATTER OF THE HEART

June 13, 2018

“For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been."" 1 Kings 11:4

He was the wisest man in the world, made so by God. 

How could this happen? Solomon had one sin that was evident. He “loved many foreign women.” God had warned him, but he refused to heed God’s clear warning. The result was that he lost his intimacy with Christ … and ultimately lost his kingdom. His sin, seemingly harmless and explainable to him and others I'm sure, affected his sons. A tragic ending to an otherwise well-used, faithful life.

He knew (because God had warned him) that if he ""loved many foreign women,"" his wives would ""turn his heart away after their gods.""

THE ""WHY"" BEHIND THE ""NO""

This is a consistent principle that God speaks to us repeatedly: if you have an affection for something God has forbidden, it will gradually turn your heart to the god behind that affection. You will not be a man after God's own heart, like David was, but a man whose heart is turned away after other gods, like Solomon. 

He may have rationalized his sin thinking he could turn the women's hearts to his God. Missionary dating. But God has warned against this falsehood a thousand times. You cannot help but be affected by compromise. Idolatry is always deadly. Always.

WHERE ARE YOUR FOREIGN WOMEN?

Where is it in my life or yours that we think we are above God’s warnings? Where we think we can cheat the system by holding on to one pet sin with no consequences? You may have rationalized it for so long that you're thinking it has no effect. But, like the wise man Solomon, lulled away by creeping compromise, you would be wrong.

If you want the possibility of losing it all and affecting many generations that follow you, hold tightly to your sin. If you long for an enduring legacy of a faithful life until the end, release the hold on your compromise. It cannot substitute for what God can give.

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