Be Careful with Our Hearts. Let's Learn from Solomon!

Every person needs to be careful to guard heart. As it is written in Jeremiah 17:9 which says, How deceitful is the heart, more deceitful than anything else, ithas become hardened: who can understand it? 

Whether we like it or not, the human heart - our heart - is indeed deceitful. Full of lust and the flesh. Exalting itself, yet putting others down. Even the Lord Jesus said that all evil begins in the heart (Matthew 15:19).

That is why we need to be careful in guarding our hearts. For that, we will learn from someone we rarely expect: King Solomon.

Solomon, the King Full of Wisdom

You may be asking, why Solomon? 

Even though he was such a popular king. Solomon, the son of David, the king of Israel who was famous for his wisdom.

If we look at the Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes, those are Solomon's writings. Not only that, he produced thousands of proverbs  and songs.  1 Kings 4:32 states, He composed three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered a thousand and five.  

What is remarkable is that when God offered to grant whatever Solomon asked, he chose to ask for wisdom from God (1 Kings 3:9). Does that not reflect Solomon's extraordinary heart ? If that offer came to me, I would most likely ask for a luxury apartment unit and the latest sports car. 

In fact,  kings and people from foreign lands came to Solomon to hear his wisdom(1 Kings 3:4).

Isn't Solomon's truly heart and wisdom amazing? Sadly, Solomon did not guard his heart and life carefully.

In What Was Solomon Not Careful?

In one matter Solomon was not careful: he loved many foreign women. Even though God had clearly forbidden it (1 Kings 11:1-2).

Why? Because Solomon's wives turned him away from God. From being close to God, he came to worship other gods.  

1 Kings 11:4 For when Solomon was old, his wives turned hearttoward other gods, so that he was not with a whole heart devoted to the Lord his God, as David his father had been. 

God's Word says that in his old age, Solomon followed and worshiped the gods of his wives (1 Kings 11:5). 

This does not mean we may not marry a woman (or man) who is not of the same ethnicity as we are. However, Solomon's wives caused him to no longer remain faithful to God. All the wisdom and knowledge he received from God seemed to vanish. Because he was not careful, his heartalso changed in its faithfulness.

This can be a good lesson for us. The heart needs to be guarded, so that God remains the first. What can we learn from Solomon's story?

1. Solomon Compromised with Sin

Kings 9:4-5 As for you, if you walk before Me as David your father walked, with sincerity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep all My statutes and My rules, 

then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying: Your descendants shall never lack a man on the throne of Israel. 

The two verses above clearly state that God had already guaranteed Solomon as king. He desired Solomon to keep living righteously and loving God throughout his life. In return, God would establish his royal throne. 

Sadly, Solomon did not hold firmly to that command of God. This happened when he began to compromise with God's Word. Perhaps for political reasons, Solomon began marrying women from outside Israel. The result was clear: little by little he was influenced, and began worshiping the gods of his wives.

That can happen in our lives too. We can examine our hearts , are we still holding firmly to His commands? Or have we begun to compromise? 

Do not let your guard down, friends! Small acts of disobedience are the first step in not guarding the heart carefully. Small sins that are left alone will one day become great.

2. Solomon Did Not Put God First

1 Kings 11:4 (TB)  For when Solomon was old, his wives turned hearttoward other gods, so that he did not with a whole heart devote himself to the LORD his God, as David his father had. 

In old age, Solomon worshiped the gods of his wives and set God aside. Even though God requires that there be no other god besides Him (Exodus 20:3). He still worshiped God, but his heartbegan to be divided. In this, Solomon was clearly not careful. 

We too can be trapped by the same condition Solomon experienced. Is there anything that makes our hearts divided? When we prioritize work so much that we forget fellowship with God, that is our idol. When a hobby makes us forget God and family, that hobby slowly displaces God, so that He is not first. 

In order to guard the heart, keep putting God above everything else. Be careful, let there be no other god besides the one true God!

3. Solomon Did Not Love God with His Whole Heart

1 Kings 11:6, and Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and he did not wholeheartedly follow the LORD, as David his father had. 

It is written above that Solomon did not with his whole heart follow the Lord. It may be that there were some of God's commands he obeyed. Outwardly, he could appear devout and kind- hearted. However, God knew that Solomon no longer wholeheartedly followed Him. 

We too can be like what is described above. We feel that we already love God, yet we do not come to Him every day. Perhaps we pray only when disaster strikes. Or, we pray every day, yet we are still unwilling to let go of sins. 

Guarding the heart carefully requires effort to love Him with all our heart. 

Guard Your Heart Before It Is Too Late

What was the result of Solomon not being careful to guard his heart?

1 Kings 11:11,  Then the LORD said to Solomon: "Because this has been your practice, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes that I commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and give it to your servant. 

Because of his disobedience, the Lord began to raise up adversaries against Solomon (1 Kings 11:14-20). His kingdom began to face many problems. Not only that, Solomon's kingdom was eventually divided (1 Kings 12:1-24).

The consequences Solomon experienced were terrifying. The greatness of his wisdomseemed to disappear. It all began from not guarding the heart. Therefore, it is very important for us to guard the heart and live according to the Father's will. 

As in one of the verses that says, Guard your heartwith all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life (Proverbs 4:23), let us guard our hearts carefully!

Related Articles:

• 3 Ways to Become Wiser, No Matter Your Age
• Have a Pure Heart with These 3 Ways
• When My Plan Is Not God's Plan
• Humble, Not Just Not Arrogant - GKDI Church
• Wisdom: How Do We Get It?