I KINGS 6:11-13:  “Now the word of the LORD came to Solomon, 12 “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. 13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.”

OBSERVATION:  Do you ever stop and take inventory of your life?  This is when you look over all that you have accomplished and try to evaluate how you have done with the years you have lived.  When I have done this my usual response is – “I thought I would have accomplished a lot more by this time in my life than I have.”  I think this is the response of most people.  Yet, is it the right response?  Is it the right focus?

Conventional wisdom tells us that we “are” what we “accomplish”, we “are” what we “possess”.  If we climb the ladder of success and possess an abundance of what the world offers – we have succeeded.  If we are on the other side of this scenario – we have failed.  All you have to do is watch any high school reunion sequence in a movie or TV show to validate this conception.

Solomon would have fit into the category of “the most likely to succeed”.  He had accomplished great things as the King of Israel.  There was peace in all of Israel, Solomon was respected and honored by all surrounding kingdoms, and now he was going to build the Temple of the living God.  Wow – who could top that?  Surely God was impressed with all of Solomon’s accomplishments.

Yet, the Lord did not focus on Solomon’s accomplishments.  And, in the prospect of the building of a house for the name of the Lord, the Lord looks beyond his accomplishments.  The Lord once again focuses on the only thing that really matters – the condition of the heart.  God is not interested nor impressed by what we posses or what we have accomplished.  God is ultimately interested in what we are BECOMING!  It is the condition and growth of our hearts that the Lord is interested in.  It is in the place of humility, faith, and obedience that He is calling us to.

The Lord knew Solomon would be tempted to trust in the physical presence of the Temple and this great accomplishment.  Throughout the years that would follow the prophets of God would warn Israel not to take false security in their standing with the Lord simply because the Temple was in Jerusalem.  God has always called for hearts that are humble, filled with faith, and responding with obedience to His commands.  When Israel’s heart turned away from God, when they focused more on their possessions and accomplishments than their faith and piety, even the great Temple that Solomon built was destroyed.  The Lord is faithful to remove anything that stands in the way of the inner transformation of the hearts of His children.

Lord Jesus, open my spiritual eyes this morning to see what You truly desire.  My worth, my life, and my standing before You have nothing to do with what I have accomplished or what I may possess.  Everything in this life will pass away.  It is only what I hide away in my heart and what I am becoming through Your Spirit that will last.  Give me the grace to store up true treasures in heaven in preparation for the day when I long to hear – “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”  In Jesus Name!