FROM WISDOM TO FOOLISHNESS
Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 11
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
On the right are ruins of a corridor in Pergamum, in ancient Asia Minor, modern day Turkey. In the centre, idol worship took place at the Temple of Athena. In the world of King Solomon and his many wives, idol worship was the normal religious practice.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: 1 Kings 11:4
For it was so, when Solomon was old, that 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.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord Jesus, in You “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” I pray that I will continue to discover this hidden treasure. I’m reading, marking, memorizing Your treasure map, the Bible, every day. The cross marks the spot where You, Lord God, intersected with the human race. I may be here in one spot, but by faith I travel to Calvary, to the empty tomb, to the place of Your ascension, and on into Your very Presence where “You ever live to make intercession for me” (Hebrews 7:25). Thank You that I am discovering Your wisdom. Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
God willing, I plan to meet Solomon again when we arrive in our two-year through-the-Bible voyage of discovery at the book of 1st Chronicles, and then again in Proverbs. In fact, as I leave Solomon for now, Solomon wrote or assembled most of the Proverbs during those early years when he practised what he preached. My son, David Reynold Mainse, has my Dad’s old Bible as a treasure. Its words are underlined, commented on in the margins, marked by a caressing hand and sometimes tear drops. My most persistent memory of my mother, who died when I was 12, is of her kneeling in prayer for long periods of time. The picture that comes to mind of my Dad most often is of him sitting in his chair, his Bible open on his lap. He was schooled in undergraduate theology by Dr. Peter Wiseman, who, during the early years of the People’s Church, Toronto, was the Bible teacher of choice every Sunday morning. Founding Pastor, Oswald J. Smith, felt that his own main gift in ministry was in preaching Sunday evening soul-winning messages of evangelism. My Dad earned a doctorate, and to the day of his death (I’ve already lived more than four years longer than he did), he poured over the Scriptures, constantly reading, meditating, inwardly digesting what he read, and praying for God’s wisdom to fill his mind. Dad was outside shovelling snow when his heart failed. He laid aside his winter coat and donned his heavenly robe. If I had control over my time to go, I’d like to be reading the Gospels in the middle of one of Jesus’ statements and finish His sentence by memory as I take off for the Celestial City.
Yours for wisdom and grace to obey God,
David
P.S. I’ve asked my missionary/photographer son to take some pictures of my Dad’s Bible, of both the outside and inside of the verse mentioned earlier, 1st Corinthians 3:21-23. The photos are below.
Marvellous post today. Boggles my mind how Solomon, who had such a close relationship with God in his younger years, could defy this Relationship so badly in his older age! Unbelievable. Praying that we will remain faithful and diligent. Father, in Jesus Name, never let us stray from Your teachings & Your plans for us. Amen. Praying for safety from COVID-19 for us all. Amen
Amen
Amen
Solomon became a people pleaser serving their Gods and forsaking the true God.Only the Lord God could endure all the hurt each one of us causes Him.
On My Lips
As I climb to my heavenly city
I will have Your words on my lips
And I will feel no more pity
When from this world my soul slips.
The foolishness of this world I now leave
For the righteousness was so frail
But the love I knew I still cleave
For it alone can prevail.
So,Lord,take me home to be with loved ones
And live eternally with You
Then I can have what the world shuns
Where the many were the few.
GW Marshall/2 April,2021
What a beautiful teaching this morning! Thank You, Lord God, for all the Godly teachers You have given us. As Beverlee said, help us, Lord, to remain faithful to You, always. In Jesus’s great name, amen
From Anne Graham Lotz’ Daily Light:
“Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.
Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. § Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. § My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. § “Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “and not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord.
Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built! § Thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” § You are the temple of the living God.”
Gen. 28:16; Matt. 18:20; 28:20; Ex. 33:14; Ps. 139:7–8;
Jer. 23:23–24; 1 Kings 8:27; Isa. 57:15; 2 Cor. 6:16
Amen
Amen
Amen to the prayers and comments.
Keep us faithful.
Amen.
May we ‘remain in You and bear much fruit.’ (Jn.15:5)
Amen to your common Doreen but I think it’s sad that King Solomon had such a noble beginning but had such a terrible ending of his life a good lesson for all of us to learn🙏🙏🙏🙏
I have just come in from taking a walk and I thought of something I remember our pastor went saying and I quote it’s not how we begin this Christian walk with Jesus it’s how we end our Christian walk with Jesus that counts for all eternity I hope that can help someone reading this blog for today p I just thought I would share that with you that’s why I love reading the Bible because there are examples of what to follow and what not to follow and what to do and what not to do p and the Bible is an amazing book
Yes Lord! Please keep us faithful to you all of our days. Thank you for Your Grace and Mercy.
Happy belated birthday to Edward! 🎂. I hope you had a very happy and memorable day!
Wishing all of you a blessed day!
Happy Birthday Edward! 🎈🙏
Beverlee, I pray you are well and having a good day. I’m also praying for Ger and hoping to hear from her soon.
“As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise You more and more”. Ps 71:14 NÍV
Thanks Luisa. Sorry I have not posted. In a great deal of pain of late, but am surviving. Please pray for something I am bringing to the Lord right now. I too, have been praying for Ger. It has been a full week that we have not heard from her. Hope you are all keeping well, fellow saints in the Lord. His love and blessings and light be upon you. Amen. 🙏
So sorry to hear about your pain, Beverlee. May the Lord alleviate the pain and may you have a good night’s rest and feel much better in the morning. May He also give you clear direction regarding that which you are bringing before Him in prayer! Bless you, dear sister! 🙏