I am currently in 1 Kings for my devotional time and I read the following passage yesterday (it took a full day for it to sink in…yes, I’m slow):

The Lord had clearly instructed his people not to intermarry with those nations,
because the women they married would lead them to worship their gods.
Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway.
He had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines.
And sure enough, they led his heart away from the Lord.”
I Kings 11:2-3 (NLT)

Now there are several lessons here (and few jokes about having so many wives), but today it has been those three little words resonating in this little brain of mine: “And Sure Enough”. God actually knew what He was talking about. God knew what would happen. God knew Solomon’s actions would lead to bad stuff. And God told Solomon.

But Solomon didn’t listen…he “insisted” on doing what he wanted to do “anyway”. I can almost hear him now, “God is such a prude! He just doesn’t want me to have any fun. What’s it going to hurt?”

But hurt it did…and not just for Solomon. Instead of leaving a powerful legacy behind him he left a shambles and all of Israel was divided from the time of his death–he had made a mess.

Now it’s easy for me to focus on Solomon’s mess and think I’m so much better. But that just wouldn’t be truthful…now would it? There have been plenty of “and sure enough”s in my life. God told me how to behave, told me what the consequences would be, but I insisted on doing it my way anyway. It’s a lesson I’ve learned and am learning every day. I just pray I have the brains and the heart to follow God instead of doing things my way. Then the “and sure enough” passage will read a little differently!