1 Kings 11-12 | The Fault Line: Loving What's Foreign

"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

It is always been an enigma to me how the wisest man in the world could make such a foolish move as Solomon did. I suppose it is just a reminder that all of us can fall and that we must be vigilant until death. It wasn't until he was older that Solomon's heart began to turn away from full devotion to the Lord … but it did nonetheless, and the results were disastrous.

God, in love, came to Solomon and warned him. But then Solomon takes the second unwise step.

Now the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not observe what the Lord had commanded. 1 Kings 11:9-10

God warned him and Solomon chose not to listen. The tragedy of this is that the kingdom was torn away from him by God, not in his lifetime but after his death. Solomon's sin set things in motion that affected the next generation.

Father, I thank you that all wisdom comes from You and that you have promised to give it to all that ask and seek You. But I also see that we can lose wisdom if we fail to respond to your call. Help me to be sensitive to what you're saying each day. To not be drawn away by a love for anything foreign that you know will "turn my heart away." And help me to be faithful until the end and leave a legacy that will bless, not harm, those who come behind me.