cool mornings, cats, and no compromise
Cooler mornings are here! My cats always wait each morning on the back patio for me to let them in the back door, through the house, and into the garage for breakfast. Ideally I quietly sit at the kitchen table and read my Bible, so I am hoping for the peace this morning.
I have been reading through the Old Testament this year, and am in 1 Kings now. Solomon…wow! He was completely set up for success! He had all the comforts of a prince as the son of King David, wisdom from God to apply God’s Word to life, and warnings from God as to what would happen if he chose not to follow God. He began humbly by asking God for wisdom and admitting he felt unready to become king, although his dad, David already considered him wise and successful. He built the temple for God and dedicated it to God’s people of Israel. He seemed to have it made.
Somewhere along the way, he began to compromise. 1 Kings 11:4 says, “when Solomon was old, his wives seduced him to follow other gods” and “he was not completely devoted to his God.” We know choosing to compromise his devotion to God did not happen in an instant, but began long before. This choosing foreign gods from the influence of foreign wives (which he was warned about) shows the results of unwise choices. Sin (disobeying what God wants as we say it in our house) tends to creep in quietly over time and take over before anyone realizes what happened. It is a sneaky little snake and loves to take people by surprise.
Ironically, the same guy, Solomon, who built an established elaborate beautiful place of worship for God, later built places for pagan gods within view of the temple! I am guessing he never saw it coming. This dude loved stuff (1 Kings 10:14-29) and had lots of it! Why am I writing about this guy that just seems to be a bad news kinda man? Never worry, there is hope here!
Some people believe God wants to rob people of fun so we simply sit around and suffer through life with responsibilities and chores. Instead, God has come that we have life and have it to the full (John 10:10). The amazing part is, He knows what will keep us safe and how to save us from choices that lead to heartbreak and chaos. When we listen and follow Him, He keeps us safe and brings us joy.
The problem is not found in fun itself, but only when fun and entertainment become the sole goal in life. Fun in itself will never make us truly happy. If fun is the most important goal, it can distract us from more important things. We can easily become a slave to anything.
I love to work out, which is a great activity in itself, right? God wants us to take care of the body he has given us. I have noticed that through working out, I was easily becoming a slave to it by checking my watch daily, keeping tabs on the calories burned, checking stand goals, and reading the alerts it gives me to work out more. It was becoming a bit burdensome on days I chose to rest like Sundays when it would convince me I need to do some exercise. I have begun wearing my rose gold old school watch on Sundays since I choose to rest and refuse constant reminders to work out that make my feel like a failure if I have not reached my daily burn goal. It might sound ridiculous, but the enemy gets us where we are, and activity is what I enjoy, so it makes sense this would be the case. Where do you feel you get suckered into distraction from God?
God is faithful in keeping His promises, so despite Solomon’s apostasy, when Israel split into the northern and southern kingdoms, one tribe did stay in the house of David, aligned with Solomon’s son. His promise that Jesus would later come from David’s lineage stayed. Are you so thankful for God’s unending love and grace? I know I sure need it everyday!
Enjoy your fun in life, including your pumpkin spice coffee this time of year! Remember that God is the ultimate Giver of joy and find true contentment in Him. Look nowhere else for joy except in Him. Live with no compromise. If you have questions about following Him, send me a message and I would love to share more about His hope with you. Let Him guide you and keep you safe as you rest in His grace. Have a great week!
Love,
Charis
