Freshly Turning to the Lord

Freshly Turning to the Lord

Thus, Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; he refused to follow the Lord completely. . . . The Lord was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 1 Kings 11:6, 9

When we reflect on the marvelous interaction Solomon had with God, the great gifts God had given him and the great deeds described in previous chapters, this passage is sobering indeed. It reminds us that if a man as wise as Solomon can turn his heart away from God, then we, too, are vulnerable. Just as Solomon’s devotion was turned from the one true God to false gods through the women he loved, our hearts’ focus can be diverted from Jesus by things in this world that distract us, entrap us, and constantly vie for our attention. Yet we don’t have to live in fear that we’ll fail as Solomon did because God never calls us to live more than one day at a time. His grace is sufficient to keep us as we freshly turn to him. That is the good news! Today and each day is a new start, where God is waiting with open arms for you to draw near to him.

Prayers:
LORD, I am turning freshly to you today. I want to stay close to you and not turn my heart away as Solomon did. Keep me and strengthen me to follow you all the days of my life. I am dependent on you, Lord. I know that you are able.

Quotes:
Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.
C. S. Lewis (1898–1963)

The One Year Bible Readings for today are: 1 Kings 11:1–12:19; Acts 9:1-25; Psalm 131:1-3 and Proverbs 17:4-5.