I'm always amazed at my closet. I got through this season last year just fine. However, with each new year, I'm perplexed at how I managed before because there is obviously nothing in my closet, and I absolutely need something new. Do I? Or is that just the American mentality? I'm sure it is.
Getting dressed yesterday, I pulled out a sweater from my closet to wear over my school t-shirt because the temperature had dropped drastically. I think I've only worn it a few times recently. I wash it about every other time because it is a top layer, and I don't deal with the pigs or go deer hunting in this sweater.
Here's the problem. You knew this silly first world story had to go somewhere. In my rush out the door in the morning, I failed to notice that I had a grass burr in the fringe of my sweater until I had already dropped off three kids for school. As I set my stuff down at my own school desk, my hand brushed up against the little irritating pokey pins of this problem that plagues my yard.
This tiny problem is actually not tiny. Yes, it is just one little sticker in my sweater. Yes, I got it out easily. Yes, my sweater is fine. This is a problem because our yard is full of them. We live on several acres in the country which is two-thirds covered in grass burrs. My parents actually spray for them. My mom goes out with a shovel and pulls them up to throw away. They spend their time to maintain their yard and to protect it against these tiny little issues. These tiny issues have multiplied like the Black Plague of death to a family lawn.
Are there small things in your life that need attention? Do you need to take care of small problems before they get out of control? What are they?
1 Kings 11:4-8 tells how Solomon took extra wives. I know this is a big jump from grass burrs to taking extra wives. Just follow me for a minute. He did not do this early in his reign. He did it when he got comfortable in life and had become lazy about his relationship with God. Solomon didn't think taking an extra wife or two was a problem if it was maybe for political reasons. He built temples for their various gods.
Solomon also bought horses and chariots from Egypt. He had the money, so why was this a problem? He was already a respected power in the known world at the time. Why would he need to do these things? His father David had established this kingdom and passed it on to him. King David's name was well respected and feared.
Solomon's sin with the chariots and maybe the second wife did not immediately have consequences. However, God did grow angry with him as Solomon's wives took him away from his relationship with his Lord. Deuteronomy 17: 14-20 explains that the king was not to multiply horses or wives. Solomon knew this. Eventually, the consequences of Solomon's actions would tear the kingdom apart. Literally. It was divided into two kingdoms.
How could the purchase of a few horses from Egypt or an extra wife or more end up with the division of the kingdom? The delayed consequences of one sin resulted in more sins. Unfortunately, the sins that multiplied and grew ended up affecting more people than just the one. Solomon, ignoring the Law, caused larger damage to everyone because of his position.
John O. Reid in his article titled Little Compromises asks, "Has this society and spiritual confusion among some of the churches of God caused us to ignore the laws, principles, and statues that we see in God's Word?" He goes on to explain the situation with Solomon. Our American society is in a comfortable state of delayed consequences and spiritual confusion because we are ignoring the laws of God. As a country and as individuals, we are not maintaining our relationship with God. Like the grass burrs in my yard, the problem will continue to grow and get out of control if not checked and up rooted.
2 Kings 23:10-11 tells us the story of King Josiah standing up to these wrong doings of Solomon. Josiah defiled the temples, removed horses, and burned chariots! We need to ask for the forgiveness that 1 John 1:9 promises is ours for the taking. However, forgiveness should also be followed with an action to fix the problem. Those grass burrs are not going away if I just say, "I'm sorry." I should say that. Then I should get out in the yard and kill them all, pull them up, and throw them away!
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