Failing to be Loyal to God

 Yesterday, I wrote about Solomon's charge to the people of Israel to make sure they kept their hearts loyal to God. We thought about how to make sure we stay loyal to God. Today, we want to spend some time considering things that can cause us not to be loyal to God. These things are factors for all of us, and we are all in danger of failing to be loyal, so I pray this is helpful.

Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived and the richest man of his time. We would think that he would remain loyal to the Lord after being chosen to be king and to build the temple for the Lord. However, He failed miserably. (I Kings 11:4) For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. How could this have happened to him?

When Solomon was "old," he failed to be loyal. In other words, with the passing of time he drifted from the Lord gradually. Most believers don't decide to turn away from the Lord all at once. It isn't one big failure, it is a series of small failures that lead us not to be loyal to God any longer. We all must guard our hearts against that drift by being very honest with ourselves and with the Lord, not compromising on what the Lord commands us to do.

Then, there were the sensual temptations that came from pagan wives. We are drawn from God by those worldly pleasures. Our fleshly desires become the most important thing to us, instead of the Lord being first. Also, the people with whom we have relationships can draw us away from the Lord, so we have to be careful about our relationships. The Lord must be our primary relationship, and we must walk with Him closely every day.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read I Kings 12-14.