The following is a excerpted from our devotional Faith Forward Family Devotional. It is the perfect resource for everyday busy parents who also desire to help pass on faith to the next generation. We hope you are encouraged by it!
XO, Ruth
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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 .
1 KINGS 11:4
Have you ever started something but didn’t finish it? Maybe you started strong and then ran out of steam. Solomon’s life is a good example of starting well but not finishing well!
Solomon ruled over all Israel as king for forty years. Like his father David, he loved God. At the beginning of his life, he wanted to live for God and show others what God is really like. Things changed though. As Solomon grew old, his heart grew cold.
He bought a great number of horses for himself and gathered lots of gold and silver. Solomon didn’t just marry one wife; he had seven hundred! Nor did he always treat God’s people fairly. Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord and didn’t follow God with his whole heart.
And so God sent a messenger, a prophet, who declared that the kingdom would soon be divided. No longer would God’s people be one—they would be two. There would be a kingdom in the north called Israel and a kingdom in the south called Judah. Sure enough, after Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became king of Judah. Jeroboam became king of Israel.
Even though Solomon didn’t finish well, God was still in charge. And even though each kingdom would have its own king—some would be good, but most of them bad—God would not lose control. He was still the real King, accomplishing His purposes through imperfect people.
LET’S PRAY TOGETHER
Lord, You are King. Nothing surprises You, scares You, or is too hard for You. You even work through sinful rulers to accomplish Your work in the world. Help us trust You and always remember that You are good and strong. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Blessings,
Pat & Ruth Schwenk
