THE DIVIDED KINGDOM

Today's reading: 1 Kings 10-13

The subtitle my Bible gives chapter 12 is this: The Divided Kingdom.

What a sad thing to think about...

The God-sized miracles that allowed the Israelites to leave Egypt, the forty years of wilderness wanderings, the provisions God gave them as they approached the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey, enemy armies defeated at the sound of praise, a king who fought hard for the Lord, and then a king who loved the wisdom of the Lord--

And now?

All that was accomplished, all that was fought for, all that was given as a blessing from the Lord--

It lays split between sparring relatives.

Children gifted with an inheritance they cannot divide evenly or govern properly.

What a sad picture. What a disturbing object lesson for us to see in regards to how easily our hearts can be torn in two by all God has for us versus all the world offers.

Are you letting your kingdom be divided?