"The Wise and Fool of Solomon" May 23 Readings: 1 Kings 11-12, John 5:30–47, Psalm 66:9–15, Proverbs 13:19-20

 

 

Reading the Bible in 2023

Each day this year we will read a selection from the Old Testament, the New Testament, a portion of the Psalms, and part of Proverbs. By the end of the year, you will have read the entire Bible. We read this way to give you a bit of variety. In reading four portions of God's word in a day, one of them is bound to speak to your life!

NOTE: if you get behind, do not give up. Read today's readings and try to catch up when you have a chance. The goal is not to "accomplish a task" but to meet God in his word. Read the word. Also, if you are short on time, READ GOD'S WORD and skip my devotional!

Bible Readings: 1 Kings 11-12, John 5:30–47, Psalm 66:9–15, Proverbs 13:19-20

    Scriptures linked to Bible Gateway in ESV version 

Daily Devotional:  The Wise and Fool of Solomon

Solomon is one of the tragic stories in the Bible. In many ways, he was a great success, and by worldly terms, the glory of his kingdom surpassed even that of his father, King David. The borders of Israel were expanded, buildings were built, including the Temple, and the wealth and fame of Solomon spread throughout the world.

Of course, his wisdom was the thing that gave him his greatest fame. He had a grasp and understanding of the principles of wisdom, of how to make a wise decision and walk the right path in life, like no one else ever.

And yet he became a fool. 1 Kings 11 tells how a man of great wisdom made some very foolish choices. In Proverbs, there are stern warnings against the wrong kinds of women and the importance of godly relationships. But as Solomon grew older, he must have grown overconfident and felt that he was above temptation. He ignored all his own principles and the consequences he predicted would come fell on his own head.

I find it interesting how often a person's strength can also be his or her weakness. David's strength? He was a man after God's own heart, but he drifted far from God into sin and became an adulterous murderer. Solomon was a man of wisdom who made the foolish choice (he KNEW better) to marry foreign women and they left him astray to worship their own gods, provoking the jealousy of the God of Heaven.

When we have a strong point, a character quality in which God's work has advanced, it is a good thing. But when we become overconfident, when we think it can never happen to us, when we stop being careful and stop taking precautions against sin, we can actually fall at exactly the point where we thought our faith was so strong and unshakable.

No matter how long I walk with Christ or how deeply I know him, I must still be careful to walk daily in the fullness of the Spirit, to practice repentance on a daily basis, and to walk carefully in this sinful world. We must not become self-reliant or confident in our own abilities.

Just when you think you are impervious, that Satan's attacks will never reach you, that is when you are in the greatest danger.

Father, protect me from the arrogance of self-confidence, of the sin of taking credit for the work you have done in me. Help me to realize that I need you every hour, every day.

Consider God's Word:

Did one of these passages speak strongly to you today? Which one? 

Is there sin in your life that needs to be confessed and dealt with that was revealed in one of these passages? 

Is there a struggle in your life that one of these passages spoke to? 

Do you walk carefully, obeying the word of God?