Who Has Your Heart?
1 Kings 11:1-13
Despite having the whole world at his feet, Solomon turned his heart from the Lord. God has also given the whole world to each and every one of us: in his son dying on the cross for our sin. Do we respond to that gift by giving our whole heart to Him or just pieces? Solomon picked and choose, will we do the same? Who has your heart?
Wisdom will not save you in a lost generation, only a totally surrendered heart to Jesus your savior will. We can listen to all the podcasts and the wisdom of philosophers and stoics that we want, but without the gospel, this quest is folly. True salvation is only found in a heart surrendered to Jesus.
Relationships won’t save you. Solomon had more relationships than the entire church combined! There is no relationship that will fulfill you like a relationship completely devoted to Christ. And all the material wealth can’t fulfill you. We will never have the riches, the political power, the physical security that Solomon had, and yet even for him, it wasn’t enough.
We first start with this: misplaced love. It wasn’t just having many foreign wives; Solomon also broke many other commandments from God listed in Deuteronomy 17. Solomon put his love in places other than his God. He didn’t trust God for safety (horses), fulfillment (women), or provision (wealth).
The marriages were lustful, of course, but also a way of cementing alliances with other kingdoms. Instead of trusting God for protection, he trusted his political prowess. A large harem was also an ungodly way to display the splendor of the king.
He spent 7 years building God’s house, the temple. But he spent 14 years building his own house. He was twice as concerned about his things as he was about God’s things.
What about you this morning? Where have you placed your love and affection? What (or who) receives the majority of your time, your resources, and your emotions. Do our finances rule our hearts, or job aspirations, our relationships, our sexual ethics, our entertainment, our… you fill in the blank. If it’s greater than God then it’s an idol and it was destroy your life. What (or who) you love most will shape the direction of your life.
We also see a turned heart from Solomon. A heart turned from God is a heart lost to the world. A heart not wholly turned to the Lord is a heart that is open to the twisting and manipulation of the principalities of this dark world. Solomon didn’t reject God overnight; it was slow compromise.
Solomon built high places for false gods—actions followed affections. John Owen in one of the best books I’ve read called the mortification of sin said, “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.” Don’t lie with predatory snakes. Don’t lie down with the wolves. Don’t allow space for compromise in your life. We have a culture that celebrates “selective obedience”. I will obey what make sense to me, but not fully what God says in his word.
Run after God, with all your heart. You see, the difference between David and Solomon wasn’t that there was no sin present. The difference was David had a heart after God. He repented, he turned, he made a change.
Last, we see God’s righteous result. God had every right to take the kingdom away from Solomon. And so the same is with us. Solomon didn’t earn this favor, he was born into it! And was an unlikely choice considering he wasn’t David’s oldest son. And yet, despite that favor, he turned on God. How about us? We didn’t earn the favor of salvation and the gift of Christ, we aren’t special! And yet, we are granted to be sons and daughters of the king. How have we responded to that?
The gospel is a story of unfair results: someone else earned what we could not. Jesus gave us our place in the kingdom despite how unjust it was. Solomon’s tragedy teaches us that no one is too wise, too successful, or too spiritual to fall. Drift begins when our love for God fades. Guard your heart. Return to full devotion before it’s too late.
A story about a lighthouse keeper who let the light go out. Years ago, there was a lighthouse keeper who was given a limited supply of oil to keep the light burning each night. One evening, a traveler came by asking for a little oil to light his lamp. The keeper gave it gladly.
Later that week, a neighbor needed some to keep his home warm—again, the keeper shared. Over time, more people came, and though the keeper’s heart was generous, he forgot his main task: to keep the light burning.
One night, the lighthouse went dark. A ship at sea, relying on that light, missed the coastline and crashed. Lives were lost—not because the keeper meant harm, but because he let his priorities drift. The keeper had done many good things—but he had failed at the one thing that mattered most.
Solomon did a lot of good things too—he built the temple, ruled with wisdom, and led with peace. But in the end, he let his heart drift from the one thing that mattered most: loving the Lord with all his heart.
You may be doing a lot of good things. But is your heart still burning for God? Are you still tending to the one thing that matters most? Don’t let the light go out. Come back to full devotion today. Who has your heart? Is it God? Or the world?