It's a Heart Matter

For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. 1 Kings 11:4 (NKJV)

God gave Solomon all the wisdom and wealth of the world, but there was one thing that God could not give him, a heart for the Lord. That is something that Solomon had to do for himself and failed miserably in his old age. Solomon's first mistake was to acquire a multitude of wives, especially from other nations. Deuteronomy 17:17 specifically instructs kings not to "multiply wives" to prevent their hearts from turning away from the Lord, which Solomon did. In his old age, Solomon turned his heart from God and went after the gods of his wives. Because of that, God allowed turmoil in his kingdom which led it to be torn apart after his death.

Like Solomon, our hearts can be turned away from God by the things of the world. Like David, we can have a heart for God, making love the core of everything we do. Love is a heart matter, because it is our love for God and those around us that sets us apart from worldly things. 1 Corinthians 13:1 says, "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." We can have all the wisdom in the world, but it is the love in our hearts that will take that wisdom to be used to do God's good works. When we keep love in our hearts, we protect ourselves from allowing the things of the world from turning us away from God.

Choose to have a heart for God, making love as a core for all you do. Print out 1 Corinthians chapter 13 (the love chapter), and post it on your refrigerator, put it on your desk, on the coffee table next to the remote, or anywhere you frequent regularly. Read it regularly! Remember to read the bible, pray, and meditate on God's word every day. Make a commitment to dedicate time and effort to grow in your relationship with God. Love is a heart matter and is the most important of all Gods commands. 1 Corinthians 13:13 says, "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."