... a weekly letter of encouragement.
6 March 1998 - Singapore
Good Morning!
SEXUAL ENSLAVEMENT
Recently I met an old friend whom I had not been around in decades. He and his wife, while in their 20's, exhibited hearts that seemed to burn for the living God. Today, graying and in their early 50's, their lives are in shambles.
So he and I went for a lon walk and I asked him what went wrong ? "POelvOGHY...I grew up with it in our home Over these many years it has poisoned and controlled me, harming those closest to me."
In some ways,. King Solomon's life parallels that of my friend. In his prayer of dedication for the newly built temple to God, one senses his burning passion for God. (I Kings 8:22-53).
But just nine years later we read of his addiction to forei women which led to his headstron refusal to obey God:
"Ifing Solomon...loved many foreign women...about which the Lord had told the Israelites, `You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods. "'
"Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love..and his wives led him astray... (turning) his heart after other gods and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord... " {I Kings 11:1-4,5 )
So God stepped in to discipline him,
"...Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees...I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you... " (I Kings 11:11 )
Yet Solomon persisted in hardened disobedience, sinking to the point of attempting to murder Jereboam
-- the man whom God had chosen to give a major portion of his kingdom to. (I Kings 11:29-33,40)
Reflecting on the tragic decline of these two men, I am reminded of Solomon's own warning (how ironic! ) for those who stubbornly CHOSE TO CONTINUE to engage in sexual impropriety,
"At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spend You will say, `How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction!"' (Proverbs 5:1 l,12)
QUESTION: DO YOU HAVE THIS SENSITIVE, CHALLENGING AREA OF YOUR LIFE UNDER HIS CONTROL? IF NOT, WHAT DO YOU THINK LIES AHEAD FOR YOU, YOUR SPOUSE AND YOUR CHILDREN?
My prayer is that you are having a great week!
1 Coleman Street #02-34, The Adelphi - Singapore 0617
Phone: 337 6498; Fax: 336 9913
© Copyright 1996 Dwight Hill. Unlimited permission to copy or
use is hereby granted subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.
