Friday, August 4th, 2023
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
— Matthew 7:13-14
Hello Friends ~
I hope this post finds you well! I am currently listening to an audible book by Philip Graham Ryken called, “King Solomon: The Temptations of Money, Sex and Power.” One of the topics discussed was choices, which that leads to decisions and onto specific outcomes/consequences. The writer’s prelude, my assumption is he’s a golf fan, starts out telling of the choices and consequences of Tiger Woods. Admittedly, I like Tiger, his abilities have astonished many in the sport of golf. In reality, he’s a human being, just like all the rest of us. We are all created by God and whether in life or in the afterlife will one day, bow down and declare God is God!
“So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10-11 (ESV)
King Solomon
When Solomon rose to the throne, he sought after God, and God gave him an opportunity to request for whatever he desired. Solomon humbly recognized his inability to rule well and nobly asked God for the wisdom he would need to govern God’s people righteously. God gave him wisdom and also wealth (1 Kings 3:4-15). In fact, “King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth” (1 Kings 10:23). God also gave Solomon peace on all fronts during most of his reign (1 Kings 4:20-25).
— christianity.com (*see reference below)
King Solomon’s “CHOICES”
His “Choices” Led to His Demise
Solomon’s decline did not happen all at once. It was a slow process of his heart turning away from undivided loyalty to the God of the Covenant. In, 1 Kings Chapter 11, the fatal flaw for Solomon will be magnified. His demise will lead to the dividing of the kingdom. (*see references below for more information)
God’s Royal Commands for Kings
“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,”
•be sure to appoint over you a king the Lord your God chooses.
•He must be from among your fellow Israelites.
•Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite.
•The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.”
•He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray.
•He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.
•When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left.
“Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.”
— Deuteronomy 17:14-20
I would dare say that most of you familiar with the story of Solomon; however, I experienced or at least had the realization that King Solomon, like Tiger Woods are no different from anyone else, that is a child of God. I might call it divine intervention to clear thinking. I realized in real time that each day upon waking we all have a choice, actually the day itself will provide multiple opportunities for choices. The most important is who will I serve today, God or myself (?). Everyday is a gift from God. All that I (we) have is a gift from God. It’s not that I don’t know these things, it’s that life is filled with so much noise of chaos and hectic circumstances; all of which are frustrating and sometimes even frightening. Truth is God is readily available to each of us anytime and anywhere. God delights in us.
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”
— Zephaniah 3:17
“But the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.”
— Psalm 147:11
Speaking from experience, spending time with God can strengthen one’s resolve to live a life with purpose and clarity for God. Also, from experience, it is easy to be drawn away from the one thing that feeds your soul. How can this be, you might ask? The distractions of life even in the tiniest of measure, once it diverts our hearts can be a slippery slope towards destruction. Recently, I’ve enhanced my devotional time by using varied websites to experience God in new and different ways. Prayer has always been a part of my daily life but I have also been more intentional with my conversations (prayers) with God. Being connected with God can occur in so many different ways: verbal, thoughts, actions and listening/being silent. I have been absent from Church functions for quite sometime, some of my reasons are valid based upon my work schedule others I’m still sorting out. I miss my friends, my church family but my love for them has not changed during my absence. I am by no means saying that everyone needs to attend formal church services to have a relationship with God, it is entirely a personal choice. Attending church for many can be for the benefits of community and social support and learning/growing of God’s love.
What comes to mind is…Just Be Kind…to everyone because we can never know what is happening in their life. I see signs and t-shirts that promote this but how many of us actually do it. There’s too much hate and hostility in the world. We can all learn lessons from Solomon and Tiger, and so many others. Every person is fighting some kind of battle, some may be visible but most are not, please, JUST BE KIND.
“Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one–the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts,…Your affectionate uncle, Screwtape.”
—C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
Thank you for stopping by my blog today, I am grateful and honored. Bless you!
~Charlotte, Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.
References:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt.7.13,Matt.7.14&version=NIV
DISCOVER 
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