Heart Turn

The LORD had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the LORD. 1 Kings 11:2-3

THERE WAS A REASON the sons and daughters of the Israelites were not to marry the sons and daughters of the Canaanites who lived around them. It had nothing to do with racial purity but everything to do with purity of devotion to Yahweh alone. Certainly the king over Israel should have led his people by guarding his own heart from the influence of idolatry by refusing to marry women who worshiped other gods. He should have refused to join his heart and life and body with women whose beliefs were not toward Yahweh.

But as wise as Solomon was in so many ways, he was profoundly foolish in regard to the vulnerability of his own heart. Earlier we read that “Solomon loved the LORD” (1 Kings 3:3), but now we read that “Solomon loved many foreign women” and that “they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the LORD his God” (1 Kings 11:1, 4).

Oh, how we want our children to love the Lord! And if God should give them the gift of a spouse, we want that spouse to encourage our child to love Christ more and more, not less and less. We realize we don’t have the power to rule over our child’s heart. But we know one who does. So we pray.

Lord, I long for my child to know the joy of sharing life and love with a spouse who draws him into a greater love relationship with you. Give me wisdom to guide him well and encourage him to set appropriate boundaries.

I pray for ________ today, asking you to make him wiser than Solomon in matters of the heart. Give ________ such a deep, all-encompassing love for you that his heart cannot be turned away from you. May it never be said of ________ that he knew your clear instruction regarding marrying one who is yoked to Christ but “insisted” on loving someone who would turn his heart away from you.