King Solomon was one of the greatest kings that reigned over Israel. The son of David, he displayed great honor and favor with God at the start of his reign. In 2 Chronicles 1:8-12 we read of the first encounter the man had with God. It happened at night in a private session with God. The great Yahweh appeared to him and asked him, “Ask! What shall I give you?” (2 Chronicles 6:7). At that moment he could have asked for anything that would change the life of anyone given the same opportunity.
But Solomon, in wisdom, asked God to “give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?” (2 Chronicles 6:10). It was a wise choice and exhibited wisdom even before God increased it.
Because of his request, God not only granted him what he had asked for but also gave him great riches, honor and peace with all the kingdoms around him. No other king in Israel was given such a privilege. Solomon not only reigned with wisdom but also had such riches that silver meant nothing to his people. The wealth of Israel was unsurpassed during his reign. He had such honor that, when the queen of Sheba visited him, when she left, she said, “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. However I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me.” (1 Kings 10:6-7). Solomon wrote the book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes,The Song of Solomon and is accredited with a couple of Apocryphal books as well. However, his beginning unfortunately, didn’t make up for his ending. In 1 Kings 11 we read of how he became infatuated with women. He began to intermarry with the nations surrounding Israel, which was an action that had been forbidden by God. We are told that he had seven hundred (yes, that’s right 700) wives and three hundred concubines. That was a total of one thousand women he had to keep up with. Many of these women were daughters of kings of other nations. Solomon not only allowed them to continue to worship their false gods, but also built altars, groves and temples for the worship of the false gods of these wives. And, in the end, we are told that he himself was drawn away into idol worship (see 1 Kings 11:1-13). What began as one of the greatest reigns in history ended tragically. I really want to believe that Solomon repented and turned back to God, but the Bible does not record that he did. It is proof that it is not how you start but how you end.
In my devotion time, each morning I read a poem written by D.H. Groberg, entitled, “The Race.” In a way, this poem is the exact opposite of the life of Solomon because it tells the story of a little boy who participates in a race against other boys his age. Each of them wanted to win and each of them ran the best they could. But in the poem, the boy whom the poem is about, falls. He falls not once, but three times. Each time he wants to just quit the race and bow out redfaced. But he doesn’t. His father encourages him to keep going, and, after the last fall, it seems that an angel speaks to him to keep going, telling him to finish the race. He does, of course, coming in last place. But a remarkable thing happens. Even though he doesn’t win, he gets a great cheer from the crowd, not because he won, but because he didn’t quit.
Telling his father that he didn’t do so well, his father tells him that in his eyes his son is a winner, not because he fell, not because he came in last place, but that each time he fell, he got up and finished the race. In his case, his beginning wasn’t bad, but his middle was awful. However, it was the end that really counted because he didn’t quit but got up and went on.
You see, that’s the key in our Christian experience. We may have the best of intentions. In our hearts we want to live perfectly for the God Who saved us from the curse of death, hell and the grave. We want to honor Him and live for Him.
But sadly, we fail. We all fail. We all have times after our beginning when we sin and miss the mark. It makes us feel like we might as well just forget it. The devil will whisper in our ear, “You should just quit and get out of the way. You can’t do it, you never could. You are a failure and you aren’t capable of being anything else but a failure. Just quit, turn your back on God and live for me.” That’s what the devil wants you to do. I know, because he’s told me that probably a thousand times.
But John wrote, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2). The great Apostle had been writing in chapter 1 about how we shouldn’t sin against God. Then he wrote these words. What he is saying is that, yes, we should do our best to refrain from sin. We should try with everything in us to not sin against God. But he also knew we are human. He knew this because he was human too. I don’t ready anywhere in his letters where he failed God, but, because he was human, I bet he did. So he also told us that we have Jesus Christ as our Advocate – the One running to our defense because our sin is covered by His blood. He is ever pleading our case.
So, when we sin, we pick ourselves up, wipe the dirt and dust from our backside, and keep on running. We might fall again, and again, and again. But each time we get up and keep going on. Yes, we need to ask God to forgive us of our failure, but when we do, He does. And we go on.
There it is – that’s the key! We get up and go on! In that way we can finish well. It isn’t the beginning that gets us through, but how we end. How will you end?
— Jerry D. Ousley is the author of “Soul Challenge”, “Soul Journey”, “Ordeal”, “The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional” and his first novel “The Shoe Tree.” Newer books include “Finality” and “Dividing God’s Church.” Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these.