27 I will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth. 28 I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail. 29 I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure. 30 "If his sons forsake my law and do not follow my statutes, 31 if they violate my decrees and fail to keep my commands, 32 I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with flogging; 33 but I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.

In all the writing of David there is none that exudes with the humility nor extols the praise of God for his promises more than the prayer of his son Solomon as he dedicated the temple he had built. In this prayer, Solomon reminds God of all his promises and his great blessings on David. He admits his own unworthiness and his dependence on God. It is in this vein that God grants him wisdom beyond all his peers and an abundance of wealth that is beyond our imagination. Solomon reiterates to God that all of this is because his father, David, had followed God’s commands and kept his heart devoted to him. He further recognizes that these blessings will continue to him and his descendants only if they follow in David’s steps of faithfulness.

Yet, with all of the blessings of God in his life and wisdom to which none could compare, Solomon allowed his heart to
be turned away from whole devotion to God. The interesting thing about this is that he never quit serving God and never totally left God or his belief and trust in God. He just began serving idols (in direct disobedience to God’s commands) along with God. This began by his marrying women from other nations (again in direct violation to God’s commands) and then building high places for them to worship their gods. From this he was led to engage in the worship of these gods along with his wives. God, always true to his word, allowed Solomon’s son to continue to rule but took part of the kingdom from him and his sons.

Today we enjoy blessings beyond those of Solomon, in Jesus Christ. We have spiritual blessings and a kingdom that cannot be destroyed. We now have the privilege of being in the family of the King of Kings and the future promise of ruling with him. Is our heart wholly devoted to him?

O God, help me to devote my heart to you and to love you above all else. Give me faith to trust you when things don’t seem to be what I think they should be. I thank you and praise you for the many blessings in my life, many of which I don’t even realize. Use me to show your love, your tender care and compassion to those who are in need. Give me strength to love and forgive those who wrong me even as you forgive me when I have done you wrong. I humbly ask for your wisdom. I pray in Jesus’ name.