VERSE: 1 Kings 12:27–If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of the people will return to their lord, even Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah. TRUTH: Israel had split and the leader of the northern kingdom, Jeroboam, noticed a problem. Where would the people worship? He thought that if they went back to Jerusalem to worship God, they would eventually want to go back to the other side, the southern kingdom with king Rehoboam. So, instead of asking God about it, he just devised his own plan to…

VERSE: 1 King 11:4–For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away from after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. TRUTH: The most difficult part of a race is usually the last part. Solomon, at the end of his life got distracted and lost sight of God and his devotion and obedience to God. He allowed other things to get in the way and receive his devotion. As a result, Solomon lost everything he had worked so hard to build during his life. are we holding tight to the Lord throughout…

VERSE: 1 Kings 10:9–Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel; because the Lord loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness. TRUTH: When God blesses us, others will see the blessings and will praise God. We must always remember to give God the glory and the credit for His blessings. He is the one who is to be praised. RESPONSE: Lord, I praise You. It is my prayer that others will praise You when they look at my life.

VERSE: 1 Kings 9:8–And this house will become a heap of ruins; everyone who passes by will be astonished and hiss and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ TRUTH: Solomon had finished the temple and many other grand works and God returned to Solomon and reminded him that the most important thing was his relationship and obedience to God. This time God expands on his promise. If Solomon will follow and obey, God will bless. If Solomon will not, God will utterly destroy. We need to realize that often we are a witness to others about God. We are either an example…

VERSE: 1 Kings 8:60– so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no one else. TRUTH: Solomon built and dedicated this beautiful temple to the Lord that he built. Why did he build it? Why did it matter? Because it was to be used by the people of Israel as a way to witness to the other peoples of the world about the one true God. Everything that we have, everything that we are is to be used to share and witness to others about the one true God. Are we using what God has given us to share about Him or…

VERSE: 1 Kings 7:1–Now Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house. TRUTH: King Solomon had just finished working on the house of God, now he started working on his own house. Unfortunately, he started losing his focus on God at this point and he spent almost twice as long working on his own house as he did working on the house of God. Do we give God our time and our focus, or are we allowing other things to take our focus? RESPONSE: Father, I pray that You will help me to stay focused on You and not on anything else. I want…

VERSE: 1 Kings 6:13–“I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.” TRUTH: God made a conditional promise to Solomon. If he would walk in God’s ways and lead the people of Israel by example, then God would dwell in the house that he was building and would not forsake them. God has promised us that He will be with us wherever we go. He will make our heart His home and dwell with us forever. Will we invite Him in and seek to follow Him? RESPONSE: Father, my heart is infinitely more precious to You than any building. I am so thankful that…

VERSE: 1 Kings 5:4–But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor misfortune. TRUTH: Solomon enjoyed a peaceful and prosperous reign. Why? Not because of his superior leadership skills, but because the Lord gave it to him. Solomon gave God credit for what He did and didn’t try to take the credit for himself. Do we give God credit for the work He does in our lives? Or, do we take the credit for ourselves and rob God of His glory? RESPONSE: Father, You have given me everything that I have. Every success is a gift from You and the result…

VERSE: 1 Kings 4:34–Men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom. TRUTH: Very quickly into his reign, Solomon achieved wisdom, wealth, and fame. The first two, wisdom and wealth, were a result of God’s blessing on his life. Fame was a byproduct of that blessing, neither good nor bad, but simply an opportunity to share with others about God. God blesses us in various ways so that we will have opportunity to share Him with other people. Are we taking that opportunity in our own lives and giving God the credit? RESPONSE: Father, You…