Truth Told

Sometime after Solomon inherited the throne (kingship) of Israel, from his father David, we read in 1 Kings 3…

“That night the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”

Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (1 Ki 3:5).

King Solomon chose…

Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong.

Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (1 Ki 3:9).

The scripture tells us God was pleased with King Solomon’s choice and responded by meeting Solomon’s request plus included wealth and fame surpassing any other living king at that time. However, as we read the complete story we see that Solomon didn’t live up to the conditions set forth by God…

The LORD was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.

Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (1 Ki 11:9).

Now fast forward to one of Solomon’s writings, Ecclesiastes, which not only reveals Solomon’s heart in his failure to follow God, but it also describes a prevalent philosophy that’s rampant in our world today.

So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.

Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ec 8:15).

This type of thinking is what we call today, materialistic or fatalistic. This comes from not knowing God. One may know about God without coming to know Him personally, as a friend, or as a Father. This kind of intellectual thinking is where religion comes from. Man invents religion so as to appease a God that he is afraid of. There are quite a few religions in the world, all religion is man manufactured. There is also much Christian religion, maybe more people are involved in Christian religion rather than true Christianity.

A true follower of Christ has entered into an active engaging relationship with God through Jesus Christ. God makes each one of us over into the person He had always intended us to be, that isn’t our work. Our task is to stay in relationship and grow in relationship by being totally surrendered to God.

Solomon, in Ecclesiastes, was looking at everything under the sun, that is the mistake of a worldly mindset. We need to consider everything under the sun by knowing everything about the One above the sun, the One who made the sun.

Each of us has to be on watch to not lose our way by allowing situations and the things we see to not become our primary influencer. God needs to be our primary influencer, how are you doing?

Larry Anderson