TO CHEW ON: "Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command. So the Lord said to Solomon, 'Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.'” 1 Kings 11:10,11
Solomon was known as the wisest man who ever lived. God came into the temple Solomon built. He talked to Solomon. He promised to make him wise and to keep his family the ruling family. But in order for that to happen, Solomon was to worship only God.
As Solomon’s power and fame grew, he began doing what many kings did and marrying many wives. He married over seven hundred princesses from other countries to help him get along with the nations around him. He married three hundred more women because they were beautiful and he liked them
His wives worshiped many gods. When they came to live in the palace, Solomon didn’t make them destroy their idols and worship the true God. Instead he let them keep their idols. To please his wives he put up idols, shrines and altars to Ashtoreth, Molech and Chemosh. After a while he got interested in their gods himself. Finally he started praying to them.
Each time Solomon gave in to his idol-worshiping wives, he took another step away from God. Finally he was doing exactly what God had told him not to do. There would be a consequence. What would happen as a result of Solomon turning away from God to worship idols: (1 Kings 11:11)
1. There would be a plague on the country.
2. Enemy armies would destroy Jerusalem.
3. God would take the kingdom away from Solomon and give it to one of his servants.
PRAYER: Dear God, help me to recognize the things I do that take me away from you. Amen.
MORE: Compromise
A word that describes what Solomon did is “compromise.” It means to give in to someone, even just a little bit. Sometimes compromise is a good thing. But when we give in to go against what God has said, it’s a bad thing.
Do you recognize compromise? Put a C by each statement that shows a compromise.
1. You know your friends are planning to steal candy at the corner store.
___ A. You don’t go with them.
___ B. You go with them but wait outside instead of going into the store.
2. Your friend sees a palm reader booth at the fair and wants to go in and have her palm read.
___ A. You go inside with her, even though you’re not planning to have your palm read.
___ B. You tell her you’ll wait outside.
3. Your mom has asked you not to read a certain book.
___ A. Your friend has a copy and you read little bits of it at her house.
___ B. You don’t read the book.
Compromise starts small with small steps. But if you continue down that road you will someday find yourself in a place far away from God.
Answers
************
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS are available too at Other Food: daily devo's.
No comments:
Post a Comment