"As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever."
--1 Chronicles 28:9 (NKJV)
From the daily Bible reading on July 19, 2013 of Psalm 119:129-136; Luke 2:1-20; 1 Chronicles 28-29.
King David was nearing the end of his days. He had already named his son Solomon to reign as king after him, and God had chosen Solomon to build His temple. David turned over all his plans and all his wealth to Solomon for the construction of the Temple of God, and now was leaving his last blessings and instructions for his son and for his people, the children of Israel. David tells his son to know the one true God, and to serve Him loyally and willingly. But he cautions that the Lord can search man's heart and mind, that He knows everything we think and feel. Not only is God aware of our actions, but He even knows the full intent of our actions. Jesus also cautions us not to do things so as to impress our fellow men, but so as to please God. Our charity should be unassuming and heartfelt, not boastful or done toward fulfillment of some hidden agenda. Nothing can be hidden from God. David warns that neither Solomon nor we can hide from His all-seeing eye, but he then encourages that if we seek God we will find Him. Unfortunately, the reverse also holds true. If we abandon God completely, He will turn His back on us.
We know from the scripture that although Solomon loved God and wanted to serve Him, almost from the beginning he started turning from God's ways. He burned incense and offered sacrifices in the high places (please see 1 Kings 3:3). He married the daughter of the Pharaoh of Egypt (1 Kings 3:1) and he loved and married many foreign women, of the Moabites and Ammonites and Edomites and Sidonians and Hittites (1 Kings 11:1-3), even though the Lord had commanded His children not to intermarry with the women from these lands because they could turn God's people away from Him (Exodus 34:12-16 and Deuteronomy 7:3). And sadly, this is exactly what happened. In his later years, Solomon's wives turned him completely away from the Lord and to the false gods of these other lands. For this, his people suffered. The united kingdom split in two after his passing. The people were defeated and taken into exile, with many lost. The Temple was destroyed. God cast them off, but not forever. By His grace He relented and sent His Son Jesus to offer us one more chance.
Solomon probably thought that since he loved God and served Him by building His Temple and by generally doing good, it would be OK in God's eyes for him to bend God's rules a little, ignoring the parts that didn't fit the lifestyle he wanted to live. We may all be a little guilty of this behavior. We truly do love the Lord and believe in Jesus and try to follow His ways. But we also from time to time ignore His commands and do things that displease Him because we want to, doing so feels good, it is more convenient, it fits the lifestyle we desire and find comfortable. If we truly love the Lord, we must remain true to Him and seek Him and only Him. Amen.
Lord Jesus, please forgive us when we think we deserve some sort of special consideration, when we allow what we want to become some sort of false god that draws us away from You. Help us to stay focused on You, knowing full well that You can see even the very motives behind our thoughts and deeds. Search our hearts, Lord, for the love we have for You. In Your most holy name, Lord Jesus we pray. Amen.
We know from the scripture that although Solomon loved God and wanted to serve Him, almost from the beginning he started turning from God's ways. He burned incense and offered sacrifices in the high places (please see 1 Kings 3:3). He married the daughter of the Pharaoh of Egypt (1 Kings 3:1) and he loved and married many foreign women, of the Moabites and Ammonites and Edomites and Sidonians and Hittites (1 Kings 11:1-3), even though the Lord had commanded His children not to intermarry with the women from these lands because they could turn God's people away from Him (Exodus 34:12-16 and Deuteronomy 7:3). And sadly, this is exactly what happened. In his later years, Solomon's wives turned him completely away from the Lord and to the false gods of these other lands. For this, his people suffered. The united kingdom split in two after his passing. The people were defeated and taken into exile, with many lost. The Temple was destroyed. God cast them off, but not forever. By His grace He relented and sent His Son Jesus to offer us one more chance.
Solomon probably thought that since he loved God and served Him by building His Temple and by generally doing good, it would be OK in God's eyes for him to bend God's rules a little, ignoring the parts that didn't fit the lifestyle he wanted to live. We may all be a little guilty of this behavior. We truly do love the Lord and believe in Jesus and try to follow His ways. But we also from time to time ignore His commands and do things that displease Him because we want to, doing so feels good, it is more convenient, it fits the lifestyle we desire and find comfortable. If we truly love the Lord, we must remain true to Him and seek Him and only Him. Amen.
Lord Jesus, please forgive us when we think we deserve some sort of special consideration, when we allow what we want to become some sort of false god that draws us away from You. Help us to stay focused on You, knowing full well that You can see even the very motives behind our thoughts and deeds. Search our hearts, Lord, for the love we have for You. In Your most holy name, Lord Jesus we pray. Amen.
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