Day 165: We Need God Every Day

Today’s Scripture: 1 Kings 11: 1-12: 19

Central Thought: We need God to help us through each and every day. Wisdom is not enough; we need the power of the Holy Spirit to live lives that please God.

Solomon had wisdom, but wisdom was not enough to keep him from being lured away from worshipping the one true God.

Perhaps Solomon knew the dangers of aligning himself with women who worshipped other gods. Perhaps he was warned by faithful advisors about being unequally yoked with unbelievers; yet, King Solomon chose to marry outside of his faith anyway because he thought he could handle it. Perhaps his ideas about worshipping God changed and he felt more open-minded; his ego may have been gratified as he explored other religions for the sake of wisdom.

In the beginning of his reign, King Solomon pleased God by asking for wisdom. But wisdom was not enough. In the end, Solomon displeased God. What happened? What changed? Did subtle changes lead Solomon to turn from giving his all to his God? Perhaps the changes were very gradual. The king may have made one small compromise and then another. He may have thought he could handle some changes, but they were enough to harden his heart in a way that ultimately would impact the next generation.

We can identify with King Solomon. We know when we are making compromises. Wisdom and knowledge of God and His Word are not enough. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to live our lives to please God. We will ultimately please God when we ask for the wisdom and mind of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome temptation. We must realize that we desperately need God. Perhaps this is what Solomon forgot.

Devotional Prayer: Help us to overcome the little temptations that eat away at our faith. Help us to open our hearts to the Word and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us daily. Give us strength to avoid compromise so our hearts will not be hardened. We need You, Lord.

Today’s Bible Reading: 1 Kings 11:1-12:19; Acts 9:1-25; Psalm 131:1-3; Proverbs 17:4-5