Hello Church Family,
This past Sunday we looked at the life of King Solomon. His life started off well. He was faithful to God and followed after Him as his father David had done. Solomon began his time as king by asking for wisdom.
1 Kings 3:5, 7, 9 (ESV)
5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 7 “And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.” . . . 9 “Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”
Unfortunately, Solomon didn’t stay faithful to God. He married foreign women, which God instructed him not to do. He allowed these women to bring in false gods, which drew his heart away from the one true God. Sadly, Solomon’s reign did not end as it began. His later years do not reflect a heart devoted to God.
Solomon’s story holds two warnings for us.
First, we must be careful about who we allow into our inner circle. It is fine to have friends who are not yet Christians. But those closest to us should be encouraging us in the faith and challenging us to grow to become more like Jesus Christ. Those closest to us can have the biggest influence on our lives.
Second, growing in our faith takes daily, intentional steps toward Jesus Christ. We must deny ourselves daily and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23-24).
Ask God for wisdom today. Ask Him to show you how you can grow in your faith and become a stronger follower of Jesus Christ.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Jeremy