Yesterday, I wrote about Solomon’s great wealth and the amazement of the Queen of Sheba, who saw how wisely he ruled with justice and righteousness. But those qualities did not last for long.

Solomon had a weakness for women. He began to marry foreign women outside the will of God, violating the command of the Lord, “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” (I Kings 10:2).

Solomon had accumulated 1,000 wives and concubines. “In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been” (vs. 4).

To please his wives, Solomon built shrines to false gods, the likes of Chemosh and Molech. Under the influence of his foreign wives, the wisdom of Solomon had descended into a life of disobedience and compromise. “In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; he refused to follow the Lord completely, as his father, David, had done” (vs. 6). As a result, Solomon was no longer a wise and righteous leader.

“The Lord was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. He had warned Solomon specifically about worshiping other gods, but Solomon did not listen to the Lord’s command” (vs. 9-10).

The Lord said He would tear the kingdom away from Solomon and give it to someone else. As a result of Solomon’s disobedience, his leadership failed.

What Solomon lacked was intimacy with God, one of the hallmarks of finishing well in this life. He was not like his father, David, who had a heart after God’s own heart and was willing to repent of his sins, even when his failures were exposed.

Wisdom can sound impressive when it’s spoken or administered, but it’s a heart after God that matters most. Gaining an advanced degree does not give us a heart after God, nor do great accomplishments, wealth, or a famous social media presence. Only a heart of obedience to what God desires can help us finish well.

Above all else, we need to seek and maintain our intimacy with God at all costs. It will help us overcome the natural desires that are designed to lead us astray and dismantle the destiny God had planned for our lives.