Integrity of Heart

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

INTEGRITY OF HEART

1 Kings 9:1-9

9:1 When Solomon had finished building the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do, 2 the LORD appeared to him a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3 The LORD said to him: "I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. 4 "As for you, if you walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, 5 I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, 'You shall never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.' 6 "But if you or your sons turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 7 then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. 8 And though this temple is now imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, 'Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?' 9 People will answer, 'Because they have forsaken the LORD their God, who brought their fathers out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them — that is why the LORD brought all this disaster on them.'"

NIV

This is the pure history of the events surrounding the completion of the temple that Solomon built. After all the sacrifices and prayers in its dedication, and the blessing of Solomon on the people, God answers. Interestingly, we can apply these words of the LORD to our lives as we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who consecrates us. The Hebrew word translated as “consecrate” literally means “to be made clean.” We have used it to apply as being made sacred, but the point is that it was God who made the temple Solomon built clean, or we would say, holy. We would then have to admit that we cannot make ourselves clean, sacred, or holy. We have been washed in the blood of Jesus through the work of God. There is no other way for us to be clean, consecrated, sacred, or holy. The LORD put His name on the temple forever, and He has placed His name on us, for we are His people. It might best be explained as if we own and operate a business when we say that we are His people, owned and operated by God. We wonder how much we look like we have the name of the Lord on us when we try to manage our lives by our own desires. However, God also gave Solomon a warning to remain walking before Him with integrity, or with a complete, whole heart. Solomon was warned not to get involved with other gods, and if the people did take on other gods and worship them, the LORD would cut them off and reject them. That is one of the Ten Commandments, most Christians use as theirs, to have no other gods before me. Yet we wonder whether some things in this world have become a form of god to us. We may not worship like we are supposed to worship the Lord our God, singing praises in church, but is there a difference between how much time and effort we put into the things in this world and the Lord? It comes down to the primary focus of our lives. We know we should not have a divided heart, as Jesus told us we cannot serve two masters. Even if we do not serve any of the things of this world, or make any of them a god, we still have to be careful not to serve ourselves, for then we might be trying to serve two masters, God and self. This may be a fine line, but we have to consider whether we have slipped into serving something or serving ourselves without recognizing it. Jesus told us that he would be with us to the end, but that should not give us the liberty to serve other things or self and try to serve Him. Are we truly seeking Him and His righteousness first? Does that mean we cannot enjoy life? No, in fact, Jesus said he gives us his joy, that our joy may be complete. Let us be careful how we seek enjoyment. Let us walk before him with integrity of heart.