Day 91, or April 1st. Please don't add anything.
Our thoughts today are from 1 Kings 3, verse
3. Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking
according to the instructions given him by his
father David, except that he offered sacrifices
and burned incense on the high places. Now the
big picture of this verse. The first book of
Kings is dominated by King Solomon, but only
until halfway through. After that, the kingdom
splits, and there are lots of kings with lots
of names. Solomon had a significant rival for
the throne in the person of one of his older
brothers, born to David, when he ruled in Hebron.
With the help of his mother Bathsheba, and the
fact that he was the favourite son from the favourite
wife, Solomon finally acceded to the throne on
the death of David. Solomon's rule was quickly
established, but then he went off the rails by
assembling a vast army of horses and chariots,
the very thing he was warned not to do, in the
book of Deuteronomy, chapter 17, verse 16. Now
today's action step. One of the reasons I wouldn't
make a good sculptor or painter in oils is that
I always want just one more touch before it's
finished. The skill is knowing when you have
the perfect result and leaving it alone, not
adding anything else. Solomon had the same problem,
only he had the power and authority to add so
much more. He asked God for wisdom and got it.
He also received untold riches as a bonus. Then
he started adding things. We read that very early
in his reign, he walked according to the teachings
of his father David. But that wasn't enough for
Solomon. He also followed the pagan practices
of the day by offering sacrifices on the high
places. He didn't stop there. He became increasingly
independent of God. As believers, we need to
remind ourselves that our salvation requires
no additions. If you are trusting in God plus
whatever, we need to delete the whatever, and
then we are totally secure, whatever life throws
at us.