Altar of Sacrifice

“I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”   Romans 12:1

Serving God is not about us.  In Pastor Rick Warren’s book, A Purpose Driven Life, the very first words are, “It’s not about you.”  Many Christians today have made serving Christ all about what he can do for them and what blessings and riches they can get from Him.  In reality, Christian service is more about what we can give rather than what we receive.   Christ paid the cost for our salvation on Calvary so He already did His part. Our Christian walk is all about giving our life back to Him in service.  Pastor Jeff Garner once said, “Salvation is free, but being a disciple of Christ will cost you everything, even your life.”   So it comes as no surprise that we are called to be a “living sacrifice.”  Further, we are told that this is our “reasonable service.”  One translation says that this is our “reasonable worship.”   Animal sacrifices were common throughout the Old Testament. They were used for atonement and worshipful gifts unto God.  But now, God is calling us to be that sacrifice. He is calling us to lay ourselves down at the altar so He can perfect the inner parts of our heart in order to make us more Christ-like. 

As you lay yourself down on the altar of sacrifice, you are saying that your dreams, your will, your future, your hopes, your everything, is in God’s hands.  You are telling God that He can do whatever He wants to you.   Like Job in the Old Testament, you are saying Even if you slay me Lord, I will still trust in in you.  It’s not easy to place our lives in the hand of another and to put ourselves in that vulnerable place.  We’ve seen all too many times in this life, how people have used their power for evil and have taken advantage of those who were vulnerable.  Sometimes, we carry this fear into our walk with God.  The altar of sacrifice can be quite uncomfortable as those fears play over and over in our head.  We begin to question God’s motives and overall, His love towards us? Will God really give me His best if I surrender everything to Him?  Will He give me evil or good?  Will God really let me live if I place myself at His altar?  You would be surprised how many people feel like God is out to destroy them.   This is far from the truth.  Jeremiah 20:11 says, “For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  The truth is, God does not want to destroy you, He wants to perfect you.  At the altar of sacrifice, He is testing your love for Him.  He wants to know that even if He does not give you what you want, that you will still serve Him and trust Him.  As God raises His hand on you, you lay there trembling, knowing that this situation may look like its meant to do you harm, but somehow, He will preserve you.  From the depths of your soul, you find the courage to trust His love for you. One song put it, you may not trust His hand, but trust His heart. 

On the altar of sacrifice, in your state of brokenness, you all of a sudden feel his soft gentle hands brush your tear-saturated cheeks and eyes. The Sovereign and mighty God who had the power to destroy you, to wipe you out with one gesture of His hand, did no such thing. He kept you. He may have broken you, but He put you back together.  It’s from that brokenness that the purest oil of worship will be produced.  He may have emptied you of yourself, but He filled you with more of Him. You are a living sacrifice.  It was messy and bloody, but all sacrifices are. Christ is our prime example of this. His body was wounded and bruised for our sin. He died the most humiliating and gruesome death on the cross.  Even when he was resurrected, the scars remained on him. Yet, what His sacrifice did for humanity was the most beautiful thing this world ever has and ever will see. My friend, it is in the aftermath of our living sacrifice where the beauty and the glory truly flows. On a side note, often, people want the glory of the cross without the sacrifice, but God will not use a life that has not been through the fire.  As you lay there, God begins to lift you up and embrace you.  His words drip like honey into your soul, “You do love me, you do love me.  You’ve trusted me and now I trust you. You are now ready for what I have for you.” 

I would like to share a poem I wrote about five years ago. I was inspired to write this after reading Romans 6:13 and Romans 12:1. I don’t think I fully understood at the time what it truly meant to let God have complete control of your life, I just knew that I desired that.  With every situation, I understand more and more that to truly serve Christ is to die to yourself daily.  Each day, we must lay ourselves at the altar of God in complete surrender to His will and His desires. I’m not all the way there yet, but I’m a work in progress.  Blessings!

Altar of Sacrifice

I am an instrument of righteousness

My melody is sweet

I yield all my members

Before my master’s feet

I die daily

My life is not my own

It is offered in sweet surrender

Before His almighty throne

I lay myself at the altar

As a living sacrifice

May He do as He pleases

With this vessel He gave life

When I begin to get weary

My desire to surrender begins to fade

I climb back on the altar

Again He gives me strength

I am an instrument of righteousness

My melody is sweet

I can do ALL things

Through Christ who strengthens me

May I Have Something to Drink?

(Note: I wrote this thought back in July 2011)

“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is”

 Psalm 63: 1

“...And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the waters of life freely.” 

Revelation 22: 17

Dehydration is when your body loses more fluids than you actually take in.  It occurs when your body doesn’t have enough water and other fluids to carry out its normal functions.  Extreme dehydration can lead to even death. What’s interesting is that most people are dehydrated and don’t even know it.  You only need to lose 2% of your fluids in order to be dehydrated.  It is said that when we feel thirsty, we are already dehydrated.  It has been said that  human beings can live weeks without food, but only a couple of days without water. Case and point: We need water or we will become dehydrated and eventually die.

As I sit and write this, I am on a personal vacation for two weeks to Italy.  Beside me is my most wonderful treasure: my Bible.  Next to my Bible is a tall bottle of Lilia Water that I purchased just a while ago. When I began my trip to Italy, I did not take into account the weather conditions on this side of the world. I knew it would be warm as most summers are in the Mediterranean, but I wasn’t prepared for the extreme heat conditions, humidity, and enormous amount of walking I would be doing.  My first couple of days in Rome were miserable.  I was tired, felt weak, and did not feel like myself. When I started my adventure to Italy and found myself not feeling so well the first couple of days, I continued to feast on sodas.  You see, I have never been a water drinker.  I’ve always been the one to head for the sugary soft drinks, my favorite being diet coke. Often, when I get thirsty (and it is very often), I rush for a soda.  It feels great for the moment, but usually within the hour, I am thirsty once again. Water is not desirable to me; never has been. I hate the neutral taste.  The first three days, as I progressively felt worse, the sodas did not take away the nagging thirst that began to feel like death to me. When I couldn’t take the thirst and weakness anymore, I ran to a snack stand and asked for a large bottle of water.  Within moments of drinking it, I felt my strength return. I began to desire it more than ever, realizing it was the source of my strength and the only way I could finish this trip in bliss. At this point in the trip, water has become my friend. Soda, my enemy. The words of my mumsy are so clear in my head, “Soda is no substitute for water”.  I realize that in order for me to desire water, I had to experience not having it.  My thirst had to become so deep that I had no choice but to trade in my soda addiction for a water addiction.  The benefits have been great, and even when I return home, I believe my new love for water will follow me. Now let's get to the spiritual application.

     Spiritually, many of us are dehydrated. The sad part is that many of us don’t even realize it. Just like many people think they are getting enough water, but are still dehydrated, it is the same with us spiritually. We think we have our fill of God, but truly, what we are doing is not truly quenching that deep spiritual thirst inside us.  What we are doing currently is just not enough.  Our spirit is calling out for more. The Spirit is calling out for more. We are thirsty for more--more than last year, more than last month, more than even yesterday. We need more of God.  We need more of the Holy Spirit. Tapping into the spirit is not always the easiest thing to do because there are other things that vie for our attention. Just like reaching for a cold, sugar-saturated soda is always more desirable than reaching for a clear liquid glass of flavorlessness (aka water), tapping into the Spirit is not always our first choice. Why? Simply because our flesh is weak.  Its not until we submit ourselves and do it anyways that the joy follows. I can recall so many times when I didn't want to pray, but I kneeled near my bed anyways.  After a couple of moments of praising God with my dry spirit, something would break forth inside of me.  Then I didn't want to leave His presence at all!  Like many things, it takes us actually doing it in obedience for the the joy to follow.  

When we’re thirsty, its so easy to fill ourselves with others things hoping that it will take away or quench our thirst. Often, when I feel hungry, I have found that I’m really just thirsty.  Many times, I have fed myself junk food thinking myself to be hungry, but really I was just thirsty. Spiritually, we reach for others things to fill us: television, internet, Facebook, work, friends, a great social life, hobbies, money. For each of us, it is different. Unfortunately, those things can never quench our true spiritual thirst. They were never meant to. They are just substitutes, which if not eliminated or reduced from our lives, can cause spiritual death. For all us, the solution is the same.  We must fill ourselves with more of Jesus Christ and allow him to give us spiritual nourishment and quench our spiritual thirst.

    A special note to singles, having a husband or wife will not fill you like many of you think it will.  The Samaritan woman in chapter 4 of John had five husbands and obviously, each of them failed to give her the fulfillment she longed for. She was left thirsty for something more. That is why when she encountered Jesus for the first time, he offered her himself.  Often, I have found that as a single, when I am anxious for God to bring me a mate, this is a thirst signal.  Often, I don’t want to acknowledge this because it forces me to have to shift my focus from dreaming about God’ prince charming for me to focusing on God alone.  The Bible says that we are complete in him (Colossians 2:10).  This means that in this moment, we have everything we need in Jesus Christ.  He is our fulfillment, our Joy, our comforter, our guardian, our true everlasting Lover of Lovers. No man or woman can ever take that throne. 
      For those of you who have yet to surrender your life to Jesus Christ, I make an invitation to you to take that leap of faith and call out to God. He wants to be your savior and fill that thirst in you.  Your soul was made to be filled by Jesus. If you take that step, wherever you are right now, God will meet you at your thirst point. You will find His love the most fulfilling and wonderful.

So what do you say?  Are you willing to dive deeper into the Spirit and allow Jesus to quench that thirst within you? The depths of the Spirit will leave your life drenched to the point that your life will overflow with Him.  In turn, what you have will flow into the lives of others.  The first step is to get on your knees and call out to him. Even if you don't feel it, do it anyways. You will find that your spiritual dehydration will begin to disappear and God will come in and saturate you with Him. It is refreshing and exhilarating!  It is life-changing! Go ahead and take a drink!

The Fragrance of Your Anointing

"For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing of birds is come...The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with tender grape give a good smell.  Arise my love, my fair one, and come away" (Song of Solomon 2:11-13).

"Awake, O north wind; and come south, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out" (Song of Solomon 4:16)

Woman of God, something has been locked inside of you for a very long time. Your God, the one truly living God, is now releasing that precious anointing in your life. Its beauty is dazzling! Your persevering faith has brought you to this moment. You've hungered for it. The work of God in you is plain to see. It's fragrance is already in the air. Its flavors marvelous beyond measure. All the work that has gone into preparing you for this moment of destiny has paid off.  Those thick prayers, those tears that have been shed, those late nights of lying flat on your face in the presence of God have now birthed a new season.  Your brokenness has produced such a pure anointed oil that could only be conceived through you. It is costly, rare, and one of a kind.  It is yours alone. Your worship, your praise, your spirit will never be the same again. I'm so excited for you!

"And you shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed" (Joel 2:26)

Woman of faith, God has dealt wondrously with you. Don't you ever forget that. May your life be used to minister in fragrance to those around you and to those you will meet shortly!  Your season is not coming, it is already here. Open your eyes and see what God is doing! Walk in your divine destiny my sister in Christ! 

April

Slowly Perfected by the Lord

Have you ever baked a scrumptious cake or another yummy dessert?  Have you ever made a delicious dish that was so awesome, you couldn't help but give yourself props?  What is it that makes the perfect dish?  The answer is time. My mom always told me to cook on low heat and to let the food cook slowly. The longer you let something cook, the better it turns out. The flavors have time to slowly merge and richly compliment the dish. I have to admit that sometimes, I'm in such a hurry that I pull the dish out too soon. To my dismay, it's often not ready, and back in the oven or stove it goes.  Our Christian walk is similar to this.  God is slowly perfecting us to be that mature Christian and powerful men and women of God He has called us to be.
James 1:2-4 tells us,

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations [testings]; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

God's testing in our life is meant to bring us to perfection or spiritual growth.  When we are tested, God is producing patience in our lives. It is that patience that brings us to spiritual maturity and to the place God is taking us to.  If we try to interrupt what God is doing or take matters into our own hands, we are cutting our process short and not letting the flavor of God truly develop within us.  If I may say,we are taking the "dish" out too early.  Therefore, we won't be fully perfected and entire.  When we allow God to fully make us into what He wants, we end up truly winning because the finished product is fully done and nothing more needs to be added to it.  We become what God truly intended us to be.  We will lack nothing spiritually because God has truly finished what He has started. T.D. Jakes wrote the following words. Keep in mind, although it was written for a woman, it applies to men and women alike:

Every woman who walks with God walk through storms winds and rain. O woman of God, your life is filled with challenges and victories, smiles and tears. You are like a sweet salve mixed by an apothecary. You are a careful blend of life’s many spices. Your personality is a potpourri of so many different things that years of knowing you will not reveal everything that makes you who you are. You are carefully concocted, slowly simmered, and stirred patiently by the Lord. It is amazing how deliberate God is in preparing you for you destiny. He knows what event it will take to bring you to a place of maturity in Him. He is your Lord.

Let us allow God to take His time in forming and molding us.  The final product will be amazing. 

The Pilgrim's Journey

In light of the coming holiday season, here is some food for thought. Am I getting excited about the holidays? Absolutely. LOL.

This last month in my 8th grade U.S. History class that I teach, we've been exploring the colonization of the Americas in its early beginnings. Colonists had many reasons for relocating to the Americas.  Many people left Europe hoping to free themselves from debt, start new businesses and make profits, and some just wanted a fresh start.  Later, a group of people came from England and settled in the New England area in what is now Massachusetts. These people left England because they desired to have freedom of religion, the right to worship God as they saw fit. They became known as the pilgrims and separatists. The pilgrims desired a better place than where they came from. They sought a destination where they could explore the realms of Spirit without fear of persecution. They were blessed in that they found a destination, and through them as well as other colonists, the United States of America was birthed. Today in our country, we still enjoy the privilege of being able to worship God freely and serve Him as He has been revealed to us.

     As I reflect on the pilgrims' journey, my spirit nudges me to another group of pilgrims listed in the book of Hebrews 11. Abraham, Sara, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Moses's parents, Joseph, Joshua, Rahab, Gedeon, Barak, Samson, Jepthae, David, and Samuel as well as so many others were pilgrims in the truest sense. Hebrews says this about our heroes and pilgrims of the faith:

"Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect" (v. 32-40).

These pilgrims as you will note, were wanderers, meaning they settled in no particular area. The reason being that they desired a better country, a heavenly one (v.16).  They did not involve themselves with the cares of this world for they knew that this world was not their home, they were just passing through. Hebrews 11, referring to two of the greatest pilgrims, Abraham and Sara, says that by faith, they journeyed to the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tents with their families. They looked for a city that had foundations whose builder and maker was God (v. 9-10).  Why did they dwell in tents when God had already given them the land? They could have made a permanent dwelling, yet they understood that God had prepared for them a heavenly dwelling better than this world could offer. Now that's faith! Referring to the pilgrims of faith, Hebrews also says,
 
"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city" (v. 13-16).

 

These pilgrims understood they were on a journey whose destination was heaven. They had eternity in their hearts.  They could have returned to their old way of life, but they knew that it meant nothing in the greater picture. They desired something better. They desired Jesus Christ. In the light of Jesus Christ, the cares of the world were foolish and unimportant. It was this attitude that caused God to open his arms to them and made Him not ashamed to be called their God.  He was preparing a special city for them.  These pilgrims would not be let down. Later in Hebrews 11:38, its says that this world was not worthy of these people. This world will never be worthy of the kind of people who give it all, even their very lives, to serve Jesus Christ

      My question to you today is simple. Are you a pilgrim or a settler? If you are a settler, you have become comfortable and content with your place and success in this world. You see the world as being able to offer you riches, houses, money, fame, love, success etc.  The end of this life will soon come, but you cannot take those things with you to eternity. Have you become too comfortable in this life? Does heaven even excite you anymore? If not, then it is possible that you have become a settler. 

     If you are a pilgrim, you see your life as a vapor, short-lived. You understand that only what you do for Christ on this earth will last  into eternity. You have chosen to set your affections on heavenly things (Colossians 3:2) and you're storing your treasures in heaven because that's where you want your heart to be (Matthew 6:20). Your heart is set on Jesus Christ. When we see our lives in the light of eternity, we realize that all hurts and pain we have experienced in this life do not even compare to what will later be revealed in us (Romans 8:18). Just like the pilgrims, our temporal pain is just the entrance way to eternity. The pilgrim's life is the most rewarding.  If you are a settler, there is still time to change your mindset. It simply takes you picking up your tent, just like Abraham and walking on with eternity ahead of you, never looking back. Won't you do so today and make heaven your home?  I leave you with the words to one of my favorite songs:
 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of Earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

Letting Go of Ishmael

Sometimes it's hard to let go. Giving up our own dreams, our wants, our desires, and our plans can be just plain difficult initially (you will later see that God's plan is wonderful and perfect). When God gives us a promise, He has his very own unique way of fulfilling it that does NOT require our help. Our temptation is to sometimes think that we can help God along in fulfilling His promise, as if the Almighty Sovereign One needs our assistance. When God gave Abraham and Sarah the promise that they would have a son, they both realized that the task was completely out of their hands. Afterall, they were well beyond the age to have children. After much frustration and impatience, Sarah took matters into her own hand and had Abraham go into her servant Hagar, hoping that an heir would be born to them through an alternative method. Ishmael was born, yet God still confirmed to the couple that this would not be the heir that was part of his divine plan. Time passed. When Ishmael was still a young child, the Lord spoke to Abraham again and reconfirmed his promise to him concerning Isaac, "I will bless her [Sarah], and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations...And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!"  (Genesis17:16,18).  At this point, it is evident that Abraham and Sarah had long given up on the promise of God for their very own son.  They already errored in taking matters into their own hands and trying to fulfill the promise of God on their own, but what was worse is that they were still willing to settle for less than what God had for them. Their plan may have slighlty resembled  God's promise, but it was not the real thing. Ishmael, no matter how much embraced and loved, would never compare to God's plan and would never be God's plan.

     When the time came for Abraham to let go of his son and his mother, the bondwoman, Abraham had trouble letting go. As we read, he told God, "O that Ishmael might live before thee." Abraham at this point had come to love Ishmael and was close to him. He had warmed up to being a father. Everything probably  felt so right to him, except for the little voice in the back of his mind telling him there was something more that God had for him and Ishmael was not it. Abraham probably wanted so badly for Ishmael to be the one, but the truth is, when its not of God, it's not of God.  Nothing can change God's sovereign will, not anybody or anything. We see that Abraham finally came to terms with his mistake and eventually, once Isaac was born (aah, finally!),  was forced to send Ishmael away with his mother. Sending him away, although painful, meant that God's plan of Isaac would flourish.  Both plans, the one of the flesh and the one of God could not coexist.

Sometimes in our human or fleshly spirit, we birth things that are not of God.  Sometimes in our impatience to see God fulfill a promise given to us, we produce something of our own will.  We embrace it, we nurture it, and we hope that God will fit it into his plan for us. Our plan may feel like a bit of the real thing, but its' not the real thing. What is of the flesh is flesh, and what is of the spirit is spirit. The book of  Romans, referring to Abraham and Sarah's ordeal says, "They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed, for this is the word of promise...(Romans 9:8).  Galatians also says, "For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewomen. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh, but he of the freewoman was by promise....What saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman." (Galatians 4:23, 30)  This scripture has many applications, but I would like to use it to show how what is born out of our own will cannot coexist with the promise of God.  Just like Abraham, we must be willing to give up what is not of God to receive from Him what is. We cannot keep our own plan and have God's plan for our life as well.  Sacrifices must be made so that God can fulfill His perfect will in our lives.  His will is sovereign and nothing can change it. Our will can never be his will no matter how much we wish it.  This will end in heartbreak for not only us, but for others who we involve. Ishmael and Hagar were hurt  and damaged because of Abraham and Sarah's disobedience which is quite sad, but in the end, God's plan stood supreme. I have had my share of Ishmael's in my life, watered down versions of what God really wanted to do in me. Take this from a gal who has started three different masters programs for example. lol. Thank God he kept nudging me on to something better.  I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I would have allowed God to work perfectly through me instead of taking matters into my own hands. Yes, God is full of grace, as we see that he had mercy on Abraham and Sarah, but we must be careful with the consequences of letting our plan exist too long.  What problems they could have avoided if they would have continued to trust in God and not have allowed their frustration and impatience to get in the way. I remember the testimony of Nona Freeman from years ago. She talked about her work in Africa and how much God used her and her husband for a special calling. Yet, she notes how as she looked back, she realized how much more God could have done through them  if their wills would have been pushed out of the way completely.

My question to all of us is what Ishmaels do you need to release today?  What is keeping you from receiving what God really has for you?  Is it a job, a person, a dream, a plan of your own. In Jesus Name, I pray you have the strength to let it go so that God can work perfectly through you and release His dream, His desire, and His plan for you.  You may not understand now what God is doing, but know that His plan is beyond what we can understand. It was through the promise of Isaac that we have salvation today. Imagine what this world would have missed out on if Abraham and Sarah would not have let Ishmael go. Hold on to the promise of God as if it is already fulfilled. Nurture it. Embrace it. Believe it.  Let go of Ishmael and see God do a work in you that will have eternal blessings.

April

The Power of Choice

"And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD. "  I Chronicles 28:20

We read that King David called his son Solomon (son of Bathsheba) aside to give him orders to build the House of God. David assured his son that God was behind this project and that God would be with him as he did God's work. When David handed over the plans for building the House of God to his son Solomon, he gave him specific instructions (I Chronicles 29). Solomon would have everything he needed to be successful in such an undertaking.  When I read the story of Solomon and how he was chosen by God to build Him a house, I marvel at the calling of this man. What a privilege to build a dwelling place for the presence of God!  So much work, so much effort went into fulfilling this dream. We see that Solomon was zealous, just like his father, to see the work of the Lord completed.  He built the House and the Bible tells about its splendor and sacredness.  Throughout his journey, Solomon also built a beautiful personal relationship with God. We see how God gives him much wisdom and favor.  God also appeared to him two times, filling his life with powerful promises. Solomon was one who honored God and worshipped Him alone which God blessed him for.  Yet, at the end of his life, we read that Solomon had a weakness.  This weakness would eventually lead to his destruction.  I Kings tells us,

"King Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.  I Kings 11:1-12
 
We see that everything Solomon had worked so hard for was now jeopardized because of his love of women.  Such a great man and great calling being reduced to such a low state because of his choices.  The Bible never says that he repented, which leads me to believe that he died in his own sin. We live in a different time and different place, but his story is not so different from our very own.
What a wonderful privilege is it for us to be called to do the work of the Lord and to serve an almighty God like Jesus Christ. We too have been given a task. We are to build up the Kingdom of God as well as our own spiritual house.  God has given each Christian a personal calling which is unique and which no other can fulfill. God provides all the tools and instructions for accomplishing the task at hand.  Our only responsibility is to be obedient to the calling and allow God to lead us. We have good intentions, we want to please God, but yet sometimes we get distracted by other things such as the cares of this world, sin, or like I always say, the"stuff" of life.  We often think that its God's responsibility to keep us from detours and mistakes, but this is not the case. Just like Solomon had a free will, we too have free will. God can tell us what to do and guide us, but we still decide whether to be obedient or not. Obedience is not always easy. It usually means that we have to put aside our desires and wants for something better, although it doesn't feel like the best thing from our perspective at the time. God gives us the power of choice. He allows us to decide what to do with what He has given us. He won't do it himself. God put Adam and Eve in the garden to live in relationship with him, but he still put a tree with the forbidden fruit in the midst of the garden to test their choices. He offers us salvation, but we still must accept it and act on it. Also, He gives us promises throughout his Word that are dependent on our choices.  Solomon had a choice when he took all those foreign, pagan women to be his wives and concubines.  His poor decision cost him his relationship with God so that everything he worked so hard for was overshadowed by his poor decision. He had such a high calling, but in the end, he traded in his relationship with God for the cares of his life. 
We make choices everyday. Some choices are easier to make than others. Remember, God won't always close the door on the distractions or "stuff" of life. He leaves that for us to do.  Will we be obedient and allow God to do amazing things in our life or will be trade in our calling and settle for less through our poor choices? I pray for that you and I will always have courage to seek God's widsom, but utimately the grace to be obedient, even when its not always easy. I'll leave you with this quote that I absolutely love, "God never said it would be easy, He just said it would be worth it."  God bless friends.

Blessings,
April