Tag: Proverbs 27:21
Fame, fortune and falling away!
Scripture reading for April 4: 1st Kings 9-11
“The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives.” Proverbs 27:21
Fame and fortune bring lots of praise from the lips of men. Everyone wants to be around a famous person and the rich have many friends. These blessings can easily lead our hearts away from faith in the Lord and a vital relationship with Him. God warned the Israelites that when they entered the promised land and settled down and became prosperous, they would be tempted to forget God. (Deuteronomy 8:10-13) Solomon found prosperity and fame to be a more difficult test than sexual lust.
After Solomon finished dedicating the temple and achieving all he had desired to do, God appeared to him a second time. God promised that He would hear the prayers said at the temple and watch over it. God then warned Solomon against turning away from Him and going after other gods. (1st Kings 9:6-9)
But Solomon took 700 wives and 300 concubines from among the nations that the Lord forbid the Israelites to marry from. God had warned that their hearts would be led astray to idolatry and His Word is always to be trusted. (1st Kings 11:1-6) Solomon’s heart was not fully committed to the Lord and he did evil in God’s sight! He built high places for these gods of his foreign wives and they offered sacrifices, further angering God. God raised up adversaries against Israel, Hadad the Edomite and Rezon from Aram (Syria) were both hostile towards Israel. One of Solomon’s own officials, Jeroboam, son of Nebat, also rebelled against the king. Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but he fled to Egypt.
We all think that it would be wonderful to have what Solomon or some other famous figure has, but we must be reminded of how our hearts are tested by this. The pride and power of prosperity can make one as drunk as wine! God is jealous and will not tolerate idolatry. Although Solomon had God appear to him twice and plainly bless him and warn him, Solomon made choices that took him away from the blessings and his walk with God.
Do you know someone who has fame or fortune, who is in a position of authority and influence? What are some principles of walking with God that you would apply to stay close to the Lord?
Set apart to preach!
Scripture reading for March 22nd: Galatians 1, Psalm 58, Proverbs 27
Galatians 1: 11-16 “For I would have you know, brothers, that the Gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when He Who had set me apart before I was born, and Who called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son to me, in order that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, . . .”
Paul had a unique encounter with the risen Christ. He learned the Gospel, not from men, but from Christ Himself. He described it as a ‘revelation of Jesus Christ.’ Paul had persecuted the church, imprisoning those who followed Jesus and he even stood in agreement with their death in the case of Stephen. He felt that he was doing God a favor in his zeal for the traditions of Judaism. But Jesus appeared to him, and revealed His calling and the purpose of his life. Jesus set him apart–before birth! Jesus called him by His amazing grace, offering him forgiveness of sins and showing him eternal life. Jesus sent Paul to preach to the Gentiles and confirmed the Word with signs and power. Ask our Lord to confirm your calling and His plan for your life today. Jesus is our great reward!
Psalm 58:10-11 “The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God Who judges on earth.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your calling and setting me apart to preach Your Gospel. Thank You for those, like Paul, that spoke truth into my life and lived in the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank You for the trials and testing that have deepened my faith and trust in Your love and goodness. Empower me today to fulfill Your will and purposes for my life and in those to whom you send me.
Proverbs 27:21 “The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise.”
Fame, fortune and falling away!
Scripture reading for April 5th: 1st Kings 9-11
“The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives.” Proverbs 27:21
Fame and fortune bring lots of praise from the lips of men. Everyone wants to be around a famous person and the rich have many friends. These blessings can easily lead our hearts away from faith in the Lord and a vital relationship with Him. God warned the Israelites that when they entered the promised land and settled down and became prosperous, they would be tempted to forget God. (Deuteronomy 8:10-13) In a sense, prosperity and fame can be a more difficult test than sexual lust.
After Solomon finished dedicating the temple and achieving all he had desired to do, God appeared to him a second time. God promised that He would hear the prayers said at the temple and watch over it. At that time God warned Solomon against turning away from Him and going after other gods. (1st Kings 9:6-9) God understood the test that Solomon would face as his fame and fortune grew.
As God blessed him and his influence grew, Solomon married many foreign women and took 700 wives and 300 concubines from among the nations. God had warned that His people’s hearts would be led astray to idolatry and they should never marry from the nations. (1st Kings 11:1-6) Even though God had appeared to him, Solomon’s heart was not fully committed to the Lord and he did evil in God’s sight! He built high places for these gods of his foreign wives further angering God. His life should be a warning to us in our age of prosperity of the dangers of idolatry.
Pray today for someone who has fame or fortune or who is in a position of authority and influence. Pray for God’s grace to protect and keep that person–that he or she will not fall away or lead others astray. What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? (Matthew 16:26a)