Finish Well

Sunday's reminds me of a family reunion. In my family, June is the month when the Cason clan gets together for a "family reunion." However, I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God! So that make's every Sunday a "family reunion." Don't miss the "family reunion" this Sunday!!!

Well, I woke up this morning with another thought on my mind for today's email, but during my Bible reading and devotions, the Lord redirected my thinking.

I was reading from 1 Kings 11 about Solomon. May I paraphrase? Solomon loved many foreign women. The Lord clearly instructed the people of Israel, You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods. Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord. In his old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David had been. The Lord was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the Lord. He had warned Solomon specifically about worshipping other gods, but he didn't listen to the Lord's command. So now the Lord said to him, Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed me, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you. Because of Solomon's sin I will punish the descendants of David, though not forever.

No one is immune to becoming spiritually sidetracked. Some of God's greatest servants have experienced failure and been restored. Dr. Bobby Clinton of Fuller Theological Seminary said, "In a study of 100 of the more prominent leaders in the Bible, less than 30 finished well. This means more than 60 of them were sidetracked by such sins as the abuse of power, pride, illicit sexual relationships or the improper use of finances."

Clarence E. McCarthney called Solomon "the wisest fool that ever lived." He ruled a nation but had no rule over himself. He had wisdom for everybody else but would not apply it to himself. The man who wrote Proverbs 4:23 did not obey it. "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

It is one thing to know the Word but quite another thing to do it!

Solomon obviously got right with God in the end. God used him to pen the Book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon. But how much better it would have been had he obeyed the Lord. Are you living by what you know is right? Or, is it just something that is in your head and not in your heart! (cf. Proverbs 4:23) All of us know how God wants us to live, but how many of us are obeying from the heart? James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

I will close with these words from Solomon. "He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls." (Proverbs 25:28) "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecc. 12:13)