Day 161 – June 10, 2021
Scriptures: 1 King 6, 1 Corinthians 7 All in for God. There are many considerations of the human heart. What pleasures are there that you seek? You can have, quite literally, whatever your heart’s desire. A new car or house? It’s yours! If you want to separate yourself from your spouse, it’s yours! If you want to explore your sexuality, you are free to do so, if not completely encouraged to do so. Paul’s counsel comes to us old fashioned and quite dated. Why on earth would you limit your sexuality by confining it to marriage, or not even remarrying? For Paul he says, “I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.” (1 Cor 7:35) For Paul, there is an alternative devotion that is worthy of a greater commitment, to the Lord, above all else. Paul fully recognizes that this is an impossibility and actually layers the conversation with a lot of grace. But he is making an important point. When we are married, our loyalties are divided to spouse and God. Better to remain single, for singular devotion to God and His Kingdom. We tend to ignore this instruction from Paul. We seem to think there is no limit to what we can include in our life. Our loyalties are parsed out to whatever it is that makes us the most happy, in the moment. Paul’s guidance is a helpful reminder as we look at the life of Solomon. Solomon builds a temple for the Lord. It is quite extravagant. We get an indictment on Solomon though, at the start of the next chapter. It takes a little over 7 years for the temple to be built, and Solomon spends 13 years on his palace. It’s a sign of things to come. Where Solomon’s devotions to God will be spread, paper thin by way of many wives, much wealth. Paul’s heart is for us to not have our loyalties spread paper thin, pursuing our greatest desires. It is to find that the greatest desire of our heart is God, and we will find completion and true joy in him. Let’s be all in for God. Jordan
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AuthorJordan Ickes, Minister of Etna Green Church of Christ. Archives
December 2022
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