The foolishness of Solomon

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

Solomon was given wisdom beyond any in all history--but like the proverbial horse--it did him little good. God loved Solomon dearly, but he chose many wives who lead him to relationships with other demon-gods, betraying the heart of the one who had gifted him so and leading all of Israel into idolatry again.

I saw a dear old friend the other day--someone I love and who mentored me in precious ways. Someone who was often wise beyond his years. He has since traded his wisdom for madness and gone off to worship all gods, just as Solomon did. My heart is truly broken for him, though he seems happy in his "church" life. I did not have the heart to do as I should and scream at him for all the pain he will cause himself through this. I don't know if that is a betrayal of my Friend, a betrayal of my mentor, or just a recognition of my own failure and inability to change how it is.

I knew that there was little way to change his mind or heart. He has found power there that we had never shown him. The enemy promised him a BB gun when the Father had a rifle waiting for him. The enemy would encourage him to use that BB gun in any way he pleases. The Father would have strict intentions regarding what the rifle is for. Many Christians are so afraid of the rifle that we won't even pick it up--most in the west are suspicious that Christ has no real power at all--when is the last time you actually saw it?

We have had a form of godliness but denied its power, some out of ignorance, some out of fear. It is easy for the desire to control our world to grow into a desire to control our God, but He will brook no control from us. He is God, not us and He (graciously) will have it no other way. My mentor is, at least in part, a casualty of our desire to keep things under our own control. Unfortunately, he still has that BB gun and will probably wound himself and many others with it, and believe all the while that he is doing a good and blessed work.

Father, Friend...I'm sorry...