When Solomon finished making these prayers and petitions to the Lord, he stood up in front of the altar of the Lord , where he had been kneeling with his hands raised toward heaven. He stood and in a loud voice blessed the entire congregation of Israel: “Praise the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises he gave through his servant Moses. May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us or abandon us. May he give us the desire to do his will in everything and to obey all the commands, decrees, and regulations that he gave our ancestors. And may these words that I have prayed in the presence of the Lord be before him constantly, day and night, so that the Lord our God may give justice to me and to his people Israel, according to each day’s needs. Then people all over the earth will know that the Lord alone is God and there is no other. And may you be completely faithful to the Lord our God. May you always obey his decrees and commands, just as you are doing today.” Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices to the Lord. Solomon offered to the Lord a peace offering of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats. And so the king and all the people of Israel dedicated the Temple of the Lord. That same day the king consecrated the central area of the courtyard in front of the Lord’s Temple. He offered burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat of peace offerings there, because the bronze altar in the Lord ’s presence was too small to hold all the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings. Then Solomon and all Israel celebrated the Festival of Shelters in the presence of the Lord our God. A large congregation had gathered from as far away as Lebo-hamath in the north and the Brook of Egypt in the south. The celebration went on for fourteen days in all—seven days for the dedication of the altar and seven days for the Festival of Shelters. After the festival was over, Solomon sent the people home. They blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad because the Lord had been good to his servant David and to his people Israel.
1 Kings 8:54-66

Dear God, okay, that was a bit of a diversion with “No Insult Like The Truth.” Now, it’s time to get back to looking at Solomon.

I think the thing that I think of most when I think of this speech to the Israelites this line: “And may you be completely faithful to the Lord our God.” If only we could live up to that line. If only I could be completely faithful to you. If only my family could be completely faithful to you. If only our church could be completely faithful to you. Our community. Our nation. Our world. What would that world look like? I guess that will be what heaven is like one day. Until then, it starts with me.

As we see more of Solomon’s story, we are going to see that even he was not capable of being completely faithful to you. Why is it so hard? Keeping your commands and decrees is good for me and to my benefit. Why do I fail to do it? I suppose that’s where my sin nature comes in. I start wanting to have immediate gratification instead of either 1.) delaying it or 2.) accepting that a particular gratification might never be mine to have.

Father, I’m sorry. I really am. Help me to see clearly which desires of my heart are not of you. Help me to accept the path you have for me to walk regardless of how much “happiness” it does or doesn’t bring me. Help me to discipline myself into being your servant. Help me to worship you like you deserve. Help me to be your ambassador to those around me.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen