Solomon’s humble spirit and request of the Lord resulted in God making him great (2 Chronicles 1:1, 7-12) He stood high above all others and had no peers who could compare. However, while God (and his walk with God) made him great, something happened, something that took this great man down.

It wasn’t one thing; it was several things that he allowed to creep into his life. They were subtle things, just like they are with us: They began with a divided alliances with unbelievers (1 Kings 3:1; 7:8; 9:16, 24). Next, we see his worship is distracted (1 Kings 3:2-3). It’s not long before he is dealing dishonestly with men (ones he used to be friends with) (1 Kings 9:10-14). And finally it happens; his heart is turned distant from the God who made him great and he is no longer great. “As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.” (1 Kings 11:4)

What brought Solomon down will be the same things that will bring or keep you and me down, allowing the little things to creep in between us and our walk with God. God can make you great, but the things we allow to get in between God and us will keep that from happening and eventually turn us completely away from God.

What’s keeping you from becoming great for God today?

Dr. William Burnham is a pastor at Point of Grace Church in Covington. He can be reached at burnhamw@charter.net.