Your Daily Devotional for June 3, 2006

June 3, 2006

 

The Heart of His People

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

“And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all Solomon's desire which he was pleased to do, That the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon. And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast 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 statutes and my judgments:”

 

1 Kings 9:1-4

 

As we look at this passage today, let’s think about the world in which we live. Though we may think the strength and health of our nation can be evidenced through our growing economy, a strong economy is no replacement for strong moral values. We need to recognize that God is concerned with a far greater issue than the economy. He is concerned with the heart of the people of this land. The people of this nation have had a God-honoring heart for many years, but today, America is suffering from a heart sickness, spiritually speaking.

 

As we read in 1 Kings 9, we see the Lord appearing to Solomon at a pivotal time in his kingdom. Solomon’s father, David, had dreamed of constructing a temple for the Lord but was never given the opportunity (1 Chronicles 28:3). However, after many years of waiting, the great privilege was given to Solomon, David’s son, to begin the construction of the temple. At this point in our text, Solomon had just completed the long awaited construction of the temple; every stone, every cedar timber, every cherub, and every piece of gold was in place. The work was finished.

 

What would the Lord say to Solomon after the completion of this great work? Did the Lord speak to Solomon about the beauty of the temple? God came to him not to talk about the temple, but to speak to him about the condition of his heart. The greatest issue was not that a beautiful building now resided in their midst, but that their hearts would remain right with Him and that the temple would always remain a place of worship for God.

 

God’s main concern was for the heart of Solomon, and His main concern, today, is for the condition of your heart and mine. In verse four, God instructs Solomon to walk before Him, to walk as his father David walked, to walk “…in integrity of heart, and in uprightness…” to do all that God commanded Him and to keep His statutes and His judgments. God’s greatest concern for a church is not buildings, but that our hearts would remain right with Him. If we build nice buildings to accommodate larger crowds but we do not love Jesus with all of our heart, soul, and mind, the construction of that building means very little in the eyes of God.

 

I believe if God were to speak to us today, as he did to Solomon, He would not speak to us about the great monuments we have built in this land, or the beautiful stadiums we have in each major city or even the historic battles we have won as a country, but would speak to us about our individual hearts for Him.

 

Where is your heart today?  Is it seeking God and growth in His grace?  Or is there some other circumstance, person, or material possession that is taking priority in your life today?

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