June 5
1 Kings 11:1-43; 2 Chronicles 9:29-31; Ecclesiastes 1:1-11
Hypocrite! This is a common critique of Christians─sometimes potentially true, sometimes overblown─but one of the tragic hypocrites in the Bible is Solomon. Yesterday, we read his beautiful poem about romantic love and the exclusivity of marriage; and then today we read he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. What!?!?!? How could someone who understood God's value for romance and marriage miss the mark so far? His hypocrisy had severe consequences for him and the nation. The love of his wives led to the love of idols, which led to the dissolution of Israel. Solomon's sin revealed that he loved things more than God. He loved his wives and their gods more than he loved God and obeying him.
This same attitude can creep into our hearts. We can find ourselves valuing things more than God, and this will always lead to a failure to experience the abundant life Christ died to give us. We need to constantly do a heart check to determine whether we are truly loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; to ensure hypocrisy is not running rampant in our lives.
Father God, help me to love you above everything. You are greater, more beautiful, and more satisfying than anything else. May you be the greatest love of my life. Amen.
What other loves are competing with your love of God for first place in your life?
Hypocrite! This is a common critique of Christians─sometimes potentially true, sometimes overblown─but one of the tragic hypocrites in the Bible is Solomon. Yesterday, we read his beautiful poem about romantic love and the exclusivity of marriage; and then today we read he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. What!?!?!? How could someone who understood God's value for romance and marriage miss the mark so far? His hypocrisy had severe consequences for him and the nation. The love of his wives led to the love of idols, which led to the dissolution of Israel. Solomon's sin revealed that he loved things more than God. He loved his wives and their gods more than he loved God and obeying him.
This same attitude can creep into our hearts. We can find ourselves valuing things more than God, and this will always lead to a failure to experience the abundant life Christ died to give us. We need to constantly do a heart check to determine whether we are truly loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; to ensure hypocrisy is not running rampant in our lives.
Father God, help me to love you above everything. You are greater, more beautiful, and more satisfying than anything else. May you be the greatest love of my life. Amen.
What other loves are competing with your love of God for first place in your life?
Recent
Archive
2025
January
January 1January 2January 3January 4January 5January 6January 7January 8January 9January 10January 11January 12January 13January 14January 15January 16January 17January 18January 19January 20January 21January 22January 23January 24January 25January 26January 27January 28January 29January 30January 31
February
March
Categories
no categories
No Comments