Tuesday
1 Kings 3:1-12, 11:1-8

A wise man once wrote, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.” One thousand years later, Paul expanded upon this bit of wisdom by writing, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). King Solomon failed on both counts. To make things worse, we know he knew better because he’s the one who wrote the first statement!

Today’s scripture conveys the account of Solomon’s epic failures: marriages to foreign wives and his turning to idolatry. We know from Ecclesiastes that Solomon’s sinfulness turned a once-great king into a hollow old man weighed down by guilt and filled with regret. Fortunately, his story didn’t end there.

Recognizing we are miserable sinners in need of a Savior is the first step on the path to redemption. Facing our sin can be gut-wrenching, but it must be done; otherwise, we too will become hollow people weighed down by guilt and filled with regret, which is exactly what Satan wants.