I (Solomon) devoted myself to search for
understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done under heaven. I
soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race. I observed
everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing
the wind. Ecclesiastes 1:13-14
Solomon, for being the wisest man, was pretty
pessimistic. The world became meaningless to him—wisdom and wealth didn’t mean
anything…and having many wives didn’t satisfy his desires either. Now
King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married
women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the
Hittites. The Lord had
clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they
will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them
anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300
concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord. In Solomon’s old age, they turned his
heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David,
had been. 1 Kings 11:1-4. Those wives
took him away from the true God to worshiping idols, as you can see if you
continue reading in 1 Kings 11. It is illegal now to have more than one
spouse…and that is how God designed people to be married with only one mate. We
have to be careful not to allow our hearts to be turned to idols…like
entertainment, sports, or other temptations—candy, food, beverages, or shoes and clothes.
Search for understanding. Explore wisdom.
Don’t chase the wind—you’ll never catch it! The wind blows where it will. Explore wisdom—look for wise people with whom to
share life stories and develop a relationship with them. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you.
He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5. You may even need to ask God
to send a person with a storehouse of wisdom into your life. Ask and you will
receive—that is what Jesus said. Keep on
asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will
find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7. Keep on searching for wisdom and
understanding—it is a lifelong pursuit.
Prayer
~ Heavenly Father, I don’t agree with Solomon…life is not meaningless. In my
search for understanding of Your will and ways I have found joy. You give life
meaning—You give us hope, as well as wisdom and understanding. An abundant life—one
worth living and sharing with others. I praise and adore You.
© 2016 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT)
unless otherwise noted.
No comments:
Post a Comment