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Psalm 72:15-20 

Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long. May grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. May the crops flourish like Lebanon and thrive like the grass of the field. May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. Then all nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed. Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.

This concludes the prayers of David, son of Jesse.

Solomon’s kingdom was magnificent. In his day, silver was as common as stones. When he looked out over the glistening gold of the city, Solomon believed that his kingdom would never end.

Unfortunately, while building the kingdom, Solomon neglected to build his heart. When he was old “his [many] wives turned his heart after other gods.” His divided heart ended up dividing the prosperous kingdom. Both the North (Israel) and South (Judah) were eventually defeated and the people taken into captivity. 

Solomon’s legacy was not his wealth. When Nehemiah went back to rebuild the destroyed walls of Jerusalem hundreds of years later, he found that many of the remaining Jews had married wives who worshiped other gods. He said, “Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned?” (Nehemiah 13:26a).

Father, please don’t let me pull a Solomon. Don’t let my actions negate my prayers. In Jesus’ name. Amen.