Friday, July 11: 1Kings 7- Am I divided?.

I always wonder why Solomon spent 13 years on his house and 7 years for the Temple. It seems the way the author narrates the account, he is making a statement that Solomon’s house took almost twice as long to build. Then again it was almost twice as large.

Is this a subtle way of saying that Solomon lived a divided life? Dedication to the Lord? Yes, but also dedicated to extravagance on self.

That certainly is something I hear and to my ears this is not good. I wonder if it pointed to a divided heart within Solomon?

In the devotional portion of my morning it certainly drove me to ask questions about my heart and life. Is mine divided?

I recall a sermon I heard once, where the preacher mentioned that the faults we notice in others often reflect the faults we ourselves have. That has stuck with me many years and it is surfacing in my meditations this morning.

Lord, I know I am no where near perfect. Is a divided heart, generous toward You but never at the expense of personal pleasure? Is this my doing, too?

Speak Holy Spirit, speak. Lead, direct and show me. I pray through Jesus, my Lord. Amen.