RTW May 25
Living the Life
So, King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth.
1 Kings 10:23
My Takeaways
Something Old
Live the life Jesus died for me live.
Something New
Solomon’s prayer for wisdom was answered.
People from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him.
1 Kings 8:24
“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10 (NLT)
Life in verse 10 is not physical life.
Zao: life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ.
Abundantly/Satisfying is defined as superior, extraordinary, surpassing, uncommon pre-eminence, superiority, advantage, more eminent, more remarkable, more excellent.
Something to Do
Thank you, God, for the superior, extraordinary, and more eminent life.
Hallelujah, I agree. I want to live the life God has given me to its fullest. I want my wealth to rest in God’s riches.
My Takeaways: Isreal’s story equals the world’s story.
Something Old: Solomon is slowly put surely fading away into trouble. First off, he marries a foreign woman. I do believe this was contrary to Gods law (Deut. 7:3,4) it might have been all right during this time in history, but just because the world was doing it did not make it right with God. Solomon knew that “his reputation brought honor to the name of the Lord” (v.1). People were flocking to Jerusalem to see the King and the splendor of his kingdom, which gave him opportunities to put God on display. But this all started to change when Solomon went after worldly wealth. “All of his drinking cups and eating utensils were solid gold. They were not made of silver because silver was considered of little value” (v.21). In the end, Solomon became so ensnared by his love of money that he began to disobey God’s commands. For example, he accumulated chariots and horses, a huge harem, and incredible wealth. Again that was something the Lord had commanded not to do (Deut. 17:16,17). God knew how all this would hurt the nation both politically and spiritually. “It’s a slow fade, people never crumble in a day.” (Casting Crowns). Solomon was in the beginning stages of fading away and becoming guilty of building his own kingdom on earth rather than focusing on the kingdom of God.
Something New: Solomon was in the perfect place in the beginning. The news of Israel’s God captured the attention of the Queen of Sheba, and she came to see for herself if everything she had heard about Solomon was true. She was so impressed that she and many other kings and foreign dignitaries believed in Israel’s God. The Queen of Sheba’s response to hearing about God and His wisdom reveals much about God’s truth and wisdom. I must hear about the living God before I can believe in Him. Without God’s wisdom I can’t be aware of the deficiency of the world’s wisdom to resolve life’s issues. Exposure to God’s wisdom allows me to want to have it for myself. Proclamation of the message without upright living by the messenger creates a false vision. Possession of God’s wisdom demands faithful stewardship of that wisdom. Solomon forgot the type of accountability that rested in him and begin to slowly slip away from God.
Something To Do: Guard carefully every area of my life. Guard my relationships. Don’t give Satin any foothold. Let my life be a powerful witness. Let others see God at work in me. Choose to obey God no matter what happens, because God will always bless my efforts.