Solomon's Principle

Solomon, the son of David, took over as King and was asked by God in 1 Kings 3:5, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." Solomon asked for wisdom...a discerning heart to govern and to distinguish between right and wrong. In fact, 1 Kings 3:12 says that God not only gave him a wise and discerning heart, but that no man will ever be like Solomon again. 1 Kings 10:23 says that King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. Men of all nations came to listen to his wisdom. He was wise beyond his years and consistently made discerning decisions that quickly gained him favor in the eyes of Israel. He also built the temple of God. His prayer of praise and dedication of the temple can be found in 1 Kings 8. "O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below...for you alone know the hearts of all men."

You see, Solomon grew his kingdom on Godly principles. He was a wise and great man of God, but like most of us, he had a fatal flaw that went unchecked. He loved many foreign women. Women that Solomon made an idol because he put them before God. So much so, that these women led him astray and turned his heart toward other gods (1 Kings 11:4). He loved these women so much that he ignored the things that God wanted for him. He abandoned God for things of little value and it eventually cost him his kingdom. This displays a huge warning for us in our own lives today.

Solomon started his ministry on the right path. But because of the women in his life, it caused him to walk away from honoring and serving God fully. However, the scary part is, his kingdom still grew even though God was removed. His early momentum carried the ministry even after he stopped seeking God for his life. It is possible to be doing successful ministry without God being involved in it. That is a convicting thought. The ball keeps rolling, even though the force that started it is removed. In our ministry today, it is possible to be so busy working for God, that we forget to spend time with Him! There are things that we allow to go unchecked in our lives and over time, will destroy our ministry. Destruction doesn't just happen over night. It is a process of sin that starts in our mind and our heart that goes unchecked. Over time, our hearts are so far from God that the momentum of our early ministry takes over and carries you, even though your heart is not in it. That is a scary and dangerous place to be. Are you thinking on your own strength? We must make sure that our relationship with God grows every day and that we are genuinely seeking Him in all we do. We must remove things in our lives that will distract us from our walk with God...they could be more damaging than you think...