LOVE NOT THE WORLD
And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice (1 Kings 11:9).
Though Solomon was a great king and the wisest man that ever lived before Jesus, he didn’t quite live His entire life pleasing the Lord. The Bible says he loved many “strange women” and followed their gods. He brought them from nations where God already forbade the children of Israel to marry from.
In 1 Kings 11:2, God said, “…Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods….” But the concluding part of that verse says, “…Solomon clave unto these in love.” As a result, the Lord wasn’t pleased with him. Some Christians are that way today. Their closest friends and associates are people of the world. Like Solomon, they cleave to the wrong people and to the wrong associations for the wrong reasons.
Some of them keep these friendships because they help to make them become socially famous or popular. But the Bible says, “…know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4). 1 John 2:15 says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Solomon chose to become a socially famous king. Read about him; after God’s second appearance to him, there’s no record of him praying anywhere in the Scriptures. Instead, everything associated with him was social. He was in one meeting or the other, receiving visitors, and attending parties, but no meetings with the Lord.
You have to understand that the people you associate with will become the standard for the things that take your time. These include your interests and the things you love. God said to the children of Israel, “…for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods…” (1 Kings 11:2). Don’t say, “I know myself; they can’t influence me”; rather, simply heed God’s admonition. He already said concerning unwholesome associations, “…come out from among them, and be ye separate…” (2 Corinthians 6:17). God knows better than you do. If He tells you the result of taking an action, trust that He’s right and follow His Word.
CONFESSION
I’m discerning in my relationships and guided by the wisdom of God to fraternize only with those who honour the Lord and His Word and have reverence for the things of the Spirit. I prioritize fellowship with the Lord above everything else, and set my heart on the glory and realities of the Kingdom. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
1 John 2:15 NIV, 1 Corinthians 15:33, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, Proverbs 13:20
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Titus 3:1-15, Jeremiah 31-32
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: James 4:1-17, Ezekiel 30
