Pathway to Victory Daily Devotion for 11/20/24

Wednesday, November 20, 2024 12:00    Listen to today's Radio Broadcast More Pleasurable Than You Think [Solomon] had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away. –1 Kings 11:3   Some years ago, I knew a man who had an insatiable thirst for the things of God. Then he made millions of dollars by selling a business, and his spiritual interests waned. He had an affair, left his family, and began questioning his beliefs. I told him, "You are far away from where you were spiritually several years ago. Even though you have a beautiful home and a private plane, I'm sure that deep down you feel empty inside." The man looked puzzled. He said, "No, I'm happier than I've ever been."   That's the secret truth about sin: it can be pleasurable, at least for a season. Nobody illustrates this better than King Solomon. At the beginning of his reign, Solomon asked God for wisdom. God was so pleased with this request that He granted Solomon riches and power as well. But God gave one condition: "If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days" (1 Kings 3:14).   For the next twenty years, Solomon kept his end of the bargain, and God made him the most successful king in Israel's history. After Solomon completed building the temple, God reminded him of their deal. I think it's significant that God appeared to Solomon after a spiritual high. We are most prone to wander away from God after a major failure or a major success. Failure causes us to question God's love for us; success causes us to question our need for God. Both can be lethal to our spiritual health. So after Solomon's great success, God said, "If you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever" (9:4–5).   But Solomon didn't remain close to God. Instead, he allowed ambition, materialism, and pleasure to destroy his relationship with God. Solomon built up his army even though God had said Israel was to depend on Him, not on military strength, for protection. Solomon also began to stockpile wealth and accumulate many wives and concubines. His attention shifted from the spiritual to the sensual, and his wives turned his heart away from God (11:4).   Solomon's downfall didn't happen overnight. At first, life in the far country was pleasurable for him. His story reminds us that life away from God is not all pain. ***   Today's devotion is adapted from "Life in the Far Country" by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2009. Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.   FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA RADIO AND TV BROADCAST SCHEDULE Today's Radio Program Listen Now This Week's TV Program Watch Now To ensure that you continue to receive emails from Pathway to Victory, please add DrRobertJeffress@ptv.org to your address book.   Our mission is to provide practical application of God's Word to everyday life through clear, Biblical teaching. Our goal is to lead people to become obedient and reproducing disciples of Jesus Christ, as He commanded in Matthew 28:18-20

•  
• • • 
      
    • Dr. Robert Jeffress 
    • Pathway to Victory
    • 1707 San Jacinto Suite 600 Dallas, TX 75222
    • 
      
    www.ptv.org 
    Pathway to Victory, P.O. Box 223609, 
    • Dallas, TX 75222, United  States, 
    • 214-969-2400
    • • Free Books December 1 to 15 2024 Semi Monthly blog post template
•  
• • 
    
•  
•