Pastor's Corner

for Sunday 14th Nov.
How do we stay faithful?
“Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.” Prov. 19:27 Solomon was the wisest man ever (except Jesus), and yet, in spite of this he turned away from God at the end of his life. How could that happen?! How can someone with such wisdom and discernment turn away from God? Here's how, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines and it was his love for these foreign women that turned his heart from the Lord. How this all happened is summed up in this verse written by Solomon himself – he ceased to listen to instruction. The bible describes his falling away with these words, “His heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.” (1Kings 11:4) God had commanded Israel not to marry foreign women because they would turn their hearts away from God to follow after their pagan gods. This simple, clear, straight forward instruction Solomon did not obey. It’s a sobering thought, is it not? Perhaps Solomon’s great wisdom became his downfall because; (I’m just speculating) perhaps he became more reliant on his own wisdom than God’s. If I may borrow these words from Tim Challies, “If Solomon could stray so far from the Lord, I know that I can too. This is a sobering thought. This is a terrifying thought, even. But the solution to avoiding the folly of Solomon is clear. I need to take care that I never cease to hear instruction. I must live with an intense focus on God’s Word, never believing that I have learned enough, never believing that I’ve arrived. I must know that from this day to the day I die, I need to maintain a humble dependence on God.” To which I say, “Amen”.
Pastor Don.