“The Lord was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.”
1 Kings 11:9
If you know a person long enough, you discover what things are a “big deal” to them. And yet, what is a “big deal” to them, may not even matter to you.
Obviously, God and Solomon had differing views on what mattered. To Solomon, his rights were a “big deal,” doing what HE wanted without anybody stopping him. However, those rights turned Solomon’s heart away from the Lord, and THAT was a “big deal” to God. He was angry because Solomon broke relationship.
To God, relationship has always been priority. Isn’t that why He came to walk with His first kids in the Garden? To God, his visits with Solomon were highlights of their relationship, but evidently those precious together moments were not important to Solomon. Instead of appreciating the privilege of amazing encounters with the God who loved him, Solomon treated their relationship with contempt by worshiping gods who had no heart to care if he even existed!
I too am God’s precious child, and He longs to spend time me. Do I realize what an incredible privilege it is to sit and listen to His words and pour my heart out to Him? Or do I treat those moments with contempt by chasing after stuff that has no meaning at all?
Relationship is no small matter to God. In fact, relationship is a “big deal!”
