Proverbs 12:15
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes…
As I have written in several articles, we all have within us the capacity of good and evil. Using the analogy of the moon reflecting the sun’s light, we have our good (bright) side and our evil (dark) side. We put our best side forward so all can see, keeping our dark side so very few, if any, ever see. In the game of chess there are light squares and dark squares, along with light pieces and dark pieces. In our world we sometimes manipulate both sides of good and evil, and go across light and dark squares to accomplish our objectives. We justify in our own minds our methods of darkness and light so it will fit in our theology, so we can still call ourselves “good” or “Christian”.
2 Chronicles 1:12
Therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.”
Solomon was the son of King David, and is considered one of the wisest men to ever live. He was given the name Jedideiah by Nathan the prophet, meaning favored of Jah (God). Very early in his reign as king, God gave Solomon a choice of anything he asked. Solomon chose wisdom. God then blessed him not only with wisdom, but also with wealth, riches and long life.
1 Chronicles 28:9
“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.”
Solomon’s kingdom was one like never before, and has never been since. The concentration of riches and wealth have not been duplicated, even to present day. Solomon was organized and ruled through organization and diplomacy. He accomplished great tasks, building the Temple and other great building projects. He maintained peace during his reign as king with all the countries and nations surrounding him. His reputation for wisdom was known throughout the world at that time.
I Kings 11:1
King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter–Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.
Solomon truly had it all! He even states in Ecclesiastes 2:10 “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure”. God had promised Solomon if he would keep his heart perfect toward Him, that Solomon’s descendents would sit on the throne of Israel forever. He was given wealth, riches, influence and wisdom. Solomon started depending on his own wisdom. He began marrying women from other lands so he could maintain peace for his kingdom, gain new knowledge of construction, and acquire access for trade and building materials. This decision that Solomon saw as wise would prove to slowly create an environment that would eventually erode away everything he would ever accomplish.
Psalms 18:32
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.
Each one of us receives from the Creator strengths and gifts, things that come natural to us, that we excel in. We are all given the promise of blessings if we will keep our hearts perfect toward God, but we, like Solomon, sometimes take ourselves too serious, thinking the light we reflect is our own, not realizing the source of any light we may have is coming from our Creator. Our pride and manipulation becomes “our wisdom” to make life what “we want”. We marry “things” that divert our attention from God. Slowly our own strengths erode our ability to reflect Gods light and it begins to dim.
2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
John 12:26
Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
Our goal should be to reflect the Light of Christ, the Source of Light that our Creator has placed in all our lives. Usually we are more comfortable living in our own strengths that, in the end, will erode to nothing. Our strengths are not the only factors that determine who or what we become. We, like all great leaders, are not tested through our strengths. We are tested through our weaknesses. It is how we survive the dark days of our failures and weaknesses that make us who we are. The wounds we receive in life and what it takes to overcome and survive them, is what creates the character and the grit of who we are. At some point in everyone’s life we all face darkness and realize we have no light of our own. It is only in our weakness and failure that we can truly understand our true source of light and strength.
Isaiah 55:8
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Solomon trusted his own strengths to accomplish what he thought was best for himself and his kingdom. He laid aside the promises of God and opened the door to evil practices that plunged Israel into idol worship that affected them for generations and even to this present day.
As long as we focus on our own strengths and brightness, we will not be able to see Christ as our true source.
You’ve got your best man on the front side You always show your best side And evil’s always on the other side You say this is your strategy But son I hope you take it from me You look just like your enemy You’re full of pride We better trash our idols if we want to be In the army of the Lord And the greatest idol is you and me… Jason Upton – Dying Star