As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done. -1 Kings 11:4,6 (NIV)
I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure I can count all the times I’ve started some project or hobby or interest with great fervor, then let it fizzle or die on the vine as my focus goes elsewhere. (Especially before I was saved!) Well, in the bible, we see many, many cautionary stories about people who do the very same thing. A notable figure is King Solomon.
As the son of the legendary King David, Solomon started his reign very, very strong. He prayed humbly for wisdom and a discerning heart to best rule God’s people, and God was so pleased that He not only granted Solomon’s wishes, but also gave him riches and other gifts. Solomon also built the Temple to house the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant. There was peace in the land. Until…
…Solomon thought it was a good idea to take on 1000 (yes, one THOUSAND) wives! And as God warned him, as He did his father before him, and all His people since He rescued them from Egypt: You shall have no other gods before Me. Solomon erected temples and shrines to many other gods, and his heart strayed far from the Lord.
Looking at Solomon’s life, it started strong, but he didn’t finish well at all. He meandered and strayed and fizzled. His focus was off the Lord. As it is in our lives, when we focus on God and do not pursue things distracting us from Him, and strive to please Him in all aspects of our lives, we will finish well.
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