DAILY GUIDE DEVOTIONAL: A Solemn Caution

Image credit:newlifenarrabri.wordpress.com

Text 1Kings 9:1-14

Solomon had made an end of building all that he he purposed to build. After this the lord visited him. When our own work is done and we rest from our labours, we can hear God. In the multitude of noise and many distractions, we may not perceive God's voice. God did not come for a casual visit. He came to bring a blessing and a caution. His blessings are usually attached to a condition. These conditions are not grievous as the ones Satan give to those he hold in bondage, rather they are for the preservation of our souls. God's blessings add no sorrow to it. But when we are not careful to keep to the mandate of his will and laid down principles for us then we have troubles amidst the blessings. Whenever this happens we have only ourselves to blame and not God.  His conditions aim to fosters the relationship between him and us because we ought to be more interested in the giver rather than the gifts given. When we abide with him in perfect loyalty he keeps us in perfect peace. 

In verse 3-5a, "and the lord said to Him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made  before me: I have hallowed this house , which thou built to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. And if thou wilt walk before me as David thy father walked in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee and wilt keep my statues and my judgements, then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever the condition is "If thou wilt walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness" If not, well the rest of the reading was explicit on what will happen; the temple which he hath built will become "a proverb and a by word". 

The most striking part of this condition was " walk before me in integrity and uprightness of heart as your father David walked". This statement is worthy of examination.  One could ask what is integrity of heart? And how can it be attributed even to David who had failed in certain areas of his life as a king and as a father? The answer is this:  integrity of heart here means undivided, unalloyed devotion to God. God hates the worship of him and any other thing. God must always have that prior place in our hearts. Our hearts must not be divided between God and money, women, men, children or another deity. God and his demands must come first even before our most valued relationships, business or treasures. This was what endeared David to God's heart. His heart was fixed on the lord. He treasured his relationship with him above every other thing, that was why he repented in dust and ashes when his sin was made known to him. Even when God began to release the judgements against him as a result of the sin he committed, he said to him "who do I have in heaven but you and on earth beside you" "even if you slay me I shall yet praise you" his heart was fixed, focused and upright. Sin could slay him because he was human but never could it kill him because even in the midst of sin his eyes and his  trust was fixed  on the Lord for deliverance. This was what Solomon did not have, this was why he failed. He lacked uprightness and integrity of heart towards God.