CHOICES OF ONE

I just finished slogging through the reign of King Solomon.  What blessings he had on his life, and how he squandered those blessings because he forgot his own words from Proverbs 4:23, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Solomon was a renown king of  knowledge, his wisdom, his riches, his writings, and it seems that every project that he undertook was accomplished.  What a man for his era.  He was definitely blessed of the Lord. 

Interestingly enough, he was warned by the LORD, "But if you or your sons turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my NAME." I Kings 9:16  He heard, he knew, and I assume that he arrogantly thought as we all have, it may happen to you, but it will never happen to me!  Good ole self-deception.  We are truly more flawed than we realize and certainly more loved than we realize.  

From Sol's rebellion, which Oswald Chambers says that our "sins are red-handed mutiny against God", came a son, Rehoboam who modeled his father well.  Because of disobedience, it is recorded that God raised up an adversary to Solomon and those same adversaries were combatative against Rehoboam; his rebellion resulted in continual warfare, and a division of the kingdom of David.

I am again reminded of my choices and their effects on others.  LORD GOD how we need YOUR wisdom and discernment to choose wisely for ourselves and for the choices to be positively effectual for others!  

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