Trusting the Lord with All Our Heart
Introduction. The posted speed on the yellow warning sign “curve ahead” is usually 10 mph slower than necessary. Over time, some begin to ignore that warning and speed through the curve. In a similar way some ignore the warnings of doctors about losing weight, quitting smoking, lowering cholesterol, or reducing blood pressure. They reason that not all are harmed by such behavior. Much sage and sound advice is ignored because we know that “life under the sun” operates with “time and chance” as much as sound wisdom. Some will ignore all sound wisdom and still live to be 100.
Yet because Solomon did not “trust in the Lord with all his heart” regarding his wives, the terrible consequences God had warned would happen came upon him. Infinite wisdom, Divine inspiration, and witnessing divine acts of power were not enough. Because Solomon chose to “lean upon his own understanding,” he fell, just as God had warned that all other kings would fall.
God foretold of Israel’s kings and gave strict instructions that any king “shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away.” (Dt. 17:17). Solomon was one of these kings, yet for some reason, chose to ignore this warning, marrying 700 wives and taking 300 concubines.
What was he thinking? God’s warning was not hard to understand. God knew the heart of any king would be corrupted by his wives, so out of love and concern He gave this warning. Yet Solomon, with all his great wisdom and blessings ignored it. Did he think his wisdom could keep him from this fate? Did he believe that his faith and devotion to God could not be corrupted? Did he think as one of God’s “chosen people” that he couldn’t fall out of God’s grace (as some today claim)? The answer of why is not given in Scripture, but one of those reasons was clearly at play. God loved Solomon and seeing this danger gave him an additional warning.
This is a tragic story! If Solomon with all his wisdom, inspiration, devotion, faith and conviction could not avoid the fate that God warned would surely happen, neither can we. James asked the Christians to whom he was writing, and who were also ignoring Scripture in a similar way a very important question we would all be greatly blessed if we consider and answer it in the right way:
“Do you think that the Scripture speaks in vain (to no purpose).” (Jas. 4:5). This is the line we cross whenever we “lean upon our own understanding.” If we ever read a warning in the Scriptures and we think that it will not happen to us, doesn’t apply to us, or we are strong enough or wise enough to avert whatever God says will happen, we are thinking that Scripture speaks in vain. We are acting and maybe even thinking that this one Scripture speaks for no purpose, is vain and empty of power when it comes to our own personal life.
There are multitudes of commands and warnings in the Scriptures. Just as it only took one to cause Solomon to stumble into idolatry, it can only take one with us. For example, “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals,” or “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” (1Cor. 15:33; 2 Cor 6:14) speak to all of us. Yet, some think they can set such Scriptures aside because, at least to them, they speak to no useful purpose that we can see or understand. As Solomon before us, some think they can do what God says no one can do. Some might proclaim, I am doing it and have done it! But we won’t know until the day of judgment what we could have been if we had not done it. Perhaps, we think, through the grace and mercy of God, we can avoid the fate of Solomon. But we court disaster, after we know and choose to willfully do it anyway in direct violation of God’s will:
- “I returned and saw under the sun that — The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.” (Eccl. 9:11)
Yet because Solomon did not “trust in the Lord with all his heart” regarding his wives, the terrible consequences God had warned would happen came upon him. Infinite wisdom, Divine inspiration, and witnessing divine acts of power were not enough. Because Solomon chose to “lean upon his own understanding,” he fell, just as God had warned that all other kings would fall.
God foretold of Israel’s kings and gave strict instructions that any king “shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away.” (Dt. 17:17). Solomon was one of these kings, yet for some reason, chose to ignore this warning, marrying 700 wives and taking 300 concubines.
What was he thinking? God’s warning was not hard to understand. God knew the heart of any king would be corrupted by his wives, so out of love and concern He gave this warning. Yet Solomon, with all his great wisdom and blessings ignored it. Did he think his wisdom could keep him from this fate? Did he believe that his faith and devotion to God could not be corrupted? Did he think as one of God’s “chosen people” that he couldn’t fall out of God’s grace (as some today claim)? The answer of why is not given in Scripture, but one of those reasons was clearly at play. God loved Solomon and seeing this danger gave him an additional warning.
- “Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, ... 5 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, .... 6 if you or your sons at all turn from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, 7 then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them;” (1Kgs. 9:4-7).
- “But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites — 2 from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.” (1Kgs. 11:1-2)
- “it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David.” (1Kgs. 11:4-5)
This is a tragic story! If Solomon with all his wisdom, inspiration, devotion, faith and conviction could not avoid the fate that God warned would surely happen, neither can we. James asked the Christians to whom he was writing, and who were also ignoring Scripture in a similar way a very important question we would all be greatly blessed if we consider and answer it in the right way:
“Do you think that the Scripture speaks in vain (to no purpose).” (Jas. 4:5). This is the line we cross whenever we “lean upon our own understanding.” If we ever read a warning in the Scriptures and we think that it will not happen to us, doesn’t apply to us, or we are strong enough or wise enough to avert whatever God says will happen, we are thinking that Scripture speaks in vain. We are acting and maybe even thinking that this one Scripture speaks for no purpose, is vain and empty of power when it comes to our own personal life.
There are multitudes of commands and warnings in the Scriptures. Just as it only took one to cause Solomon to stumble into idolatry, it can only take one with us. For example, “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals,” or “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” (1Cor. 15:33; 2 Cor 6:14) speak to all of us. Yet, some think they can set such Scriptures aside because, at least to them, they speak to no useful purpose that we can see or understand. As Solomon before us, some think they can do what God says no one can do. Some might proclaim, I am doing it and have done it! But we won’t know until the day of judgment what we could have been if we had not done it. Perhaps, we think, through the grace and mercy of God, we can avoid the fate of Solomon. But we court disaster, after we know and choose to willfully do it anyway in direct violation of God’s will:
- “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.” (Pr. 3:5-7).
- “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” (Gal. 6:7-8)