1 Kings 8:25 “Now Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me as you have done.'”

The irony in this line of Solomon’s prayer is extreme, because he himself failed to stick to the path his father David had walked before the Lord. He wanted the promised blessings without fulfilling the specified conditions. We tend to be exactly the same way. There are several “Scripture promise books” circulating, and many people have been greatly encouraged by them, but if we lift promises out of context, then they give us false hope. It’s the little matter of accountability. To be honest, it can get tricky here, because God is incredibly gracious and merciful, and sometimes it seems downright unfair that someone who had been very far from God is restored to Him in a moment. That’s what the whole parable of The Prodigal Son is about. (Luke 15:11-32) However, the genuine key, the ultimate requirement, is repentance, and God alone is the judge of that. Are we sorry for our sin? Are we really discarding it to turn to God? Sometimes we ourselves aren’t sure. Sometimes we have to come to God and say, “Lord, I did it again!” In such cases, John’s words are a great comfort. “If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” (1 John 3:20) But again, the attitude that “God will excuse this” is deadly. We certainly don’t want to hear Him say, “I never knew you!” (Matthew 7:23) Solomon’s biggest problem was presumption, based on pride in the gifts God had graciously given him. The moment we forget that all the good stuff is by the grace of God alone, we are in deep trouble.

This is exceedingly close to home for me. I have been blessed beyond measure, much as Solomon was, and I too have forgotten at times that I didn’t earn any of it. IQ doesn’t equal genuine wisdom! Though I had some genuine encounters with God in my childhood, I was already a married father when the Lord, again very graciously, showed me the state of my heart, and the absolutely stupid pride I was wallowing in. That repentance was bitter! In the years since then I have been to seminary, become a pastor, and have now been a missionary for over 42 years, but I am still tempted to feel that since I can say all the right things, that means I’m doing them. God alone knows my heart attitude. I must never be presumptive, but always be humble before my Lord, allowing Him to show me when and how I need to repent, so that I may walk fully in step with His Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your incredible patience with me! Thank You for the plans You laid out for me before I was ever born. May I walk in them faithfully, fulfilling Your purposes for me on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!