| TODAY'S SCRIPTURE "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." (James 4:4)
TODAY'S WORD , a phrase Solomon used many times in Ecclesiastes is "under the sun." By using this phrase, Solomon was speaking of a horizontal, strictly human viewpoint of life. He was declaring there was no fulfillment in life under the sun-in other words, in life without God. He'd learned the hard way. Once he began his descent into human excess, Solomon rarely looked above the sun for answers. He proved that the attempt to meet the deepest needs of our lives, while leaving God out of the equation, will leave us empty.
This is ironic when you consider his life story. King David, the man after God's own heart, had raised Solomon in a godly home. When David was on his deathbed, he had called young Solomon in to remind him of what really mattered in life. He told him, "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind . . . " (1 Chronicles 28:9).
In other words, David had been saying, "Son, you can't live off of your old man's faith. You need to get your own. You need to serve God with an undivided heart. You need to completely commit yourself to Him. This is the secret I have learned about life."
For a time Solomon did follow the words that his father gave him. Then he allowed his heart to be divided. He tried to love the Lord and the world. According to Scripture, that just won't wash. The Bible reminds us "friendship with the world is enmity with God" (James 4:4). If you are going to be the world's friend, you are going to be God's enemy.
A PRAYER FOR YOU TODAY Dear God, I know you are with me now. I know you are with me any time I call on you, or even think about you. Let me remember, every minute of every day, that you are with me, watching me, ready to help, protecting my soul even when the things of this world give me pain. Let my every minute be lived in your presence. Let my every action be an offering of love to you. Let my every word be a prayer. In Jesus Name, Amen. |
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