Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

A Daily Devotional by Kenton Cheek

20 June 2024

Reading From I Kings 10-11, II Chronicles 9

She exclaimed to the king, “Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true! I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of it! Your wisdom and prosperity are far beyond what I was told. How happy your people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom! Praise the Lord your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness.”

–I Kings 10:6-9

     The visit of the Queen of Sheba at the court of King Solomon is a fine example of how God wanted to showcase the way of life laid out in the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, the Mosaic Law.  When the faithfulness of the Lord intersects with the faithfulness of the people, wonderful things happen.  People came to Israel during this time period to marvel at what following Yahweh had produced.  God’s hand of blessing was on Israel during this period because they were faithful to Him. 

     It was when Solomon began to marry royal women from other nations, seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines to be exact, that the trouble started.  It wasn’t that they were foreign, it’s that they brought with them their false gods.  To appease his new wives, Solomon departed from wisdom and even built places of worship for these idols. 

The wicked religions surrounding these gods were detestable and Solomon’s unfaithfulness to Yahweh caused blessing to be lifted, division in the land fractured the nation and eventually the kingdom was split into the ten tribes of the north, and two tribes in the south.  Sin always leads to trouble.  Following God makes our lives easily blessable by Him. 

“Lord, I know I’m not perfect, but my earnest desire is to serve You all of my days.  Let me dwell in Your House forevermore.  When I falter, thank You for Your forgiveness.  I could not go on without Your generous grace and tender mercy.  Thank You Jesus for Your faithfulness to the eternal family of God.  May we follow Your perfect example of faithfulness to God the Father.  In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”

God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

–I Corinthians 1:9

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

–II Thessalonians 3:3

If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

–II Timothy 2:13