5/20

1 Kings 11:9

⁹And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice '

Solomon loved foreign women and had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Just as God had warned, they turned his heart to other gods. He even built places of worship for the gods of their countries. Those high places remained around Jerusalem through the reign of many of the kings and eventually led to the downfall of the nation. He was still sacrificing and going through the Jewish rituals, but his heart had turned away from the LORD. After his death, the nation would be torn in two.

How does one's heart drift away like Solomon's did even after all the goodness God had showered upon him? God had even appeared to him twice, and still his heart turned away! The LORD deals with us according to what we know, and Solomon certainly knew that there was no god like the LORD. His dedication prayer for the Temple shows he once was sincere in his faith.

David had exemplified for Solomon how to continue after the LORD. David repented when he was found guilty. Solomon allowed his heart to grow proud. He refused to humble himself when the prophet came to tell him God's edict. It was Solomon who wrote: "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life" (Proverbs 4:23). And yet he failed to keep his own heart humble before the LORD and sensitive to the word of the LORD.

Consider: Is there some area of your life that is drawing your heart away from the LORD? Are you keeping your heart with all vigilance? Staying sensitive to the Holy Spirit brings conviction and a willingness to cut off anything that draws us away from God.