June 15-21, 2025

Heart Preparation
Our scripture this week continues to be primarily focused on King Solomon.  This week as read, remember that the majority of what you’re reading was written by a man that God blessed with being the wisest man who ever lived. A man that had, or tried every earthly thing the human heart and eyes could desire. And yet near the end of his life, as he reflects on all that he had done and seen, he found it all to be completely meaningless apart from God.


Reading Plan

• Sunday, June 15 — Psalms 134, 146-150
• Monday, June 16 — 1 Kings 9, 2 Chronicles 8
• Tuesday, June 17 — Proverbs 25-26
• Wednesday, June 18 — Proverbs 27-29
• Thursday, June 19 — Ecclesiastes 1-6
• Friday, June 20 — Ecclesiastes 7-12
• Saturday, June 21 — 1 Kings 10-11, 2 Chronicles 9

What to Expect

Sunday: Psalms 134, 146-150  
These Psalms are about the praising and worshiping of God, and experiencing the joy of his blessings.  146 is also warning against putting our faith in leaders/men who can not save. Vs. 5 “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord”


Monday: 1Kings 9 
God appears to Solomon for a second time and tells him that if he continues to follow His commands, his throne will reign in Isreal forever. But if not, Isreal will be cut off from the land and the temple will be destroyed.  2Chronicles 8 This chapter gives us a glimpse of what will be Solomons downfall.  A few weeks ago, we read about Solomon marrying Pharoh’s daughter to secure a military alliance with Egypt. Today in chapter 8, we read that he did not let her live in his father’s palace where the ark of God was once kept. Solomon says in verse 8 “My wife must not live in the palace of David king of Isreal, because the places the ark of the Lord has entered are holy” Solomon knew that his marriages to Pagen wives was displeasing to God. But it didn’t stop him.


Tuesday: Proverbs 25-26  
These Proverbs were written by Solomon, but collected by the men of Hezekiah (King of Judah).  Most of these were directed toward the King, or people who dealt with the King. 


Wednesday: Proverbs 27-29 
27:20 Feels like a preface to the book of Ecclesiastes saying “ Death and destruction are never satisfied, and neither are the human eyes”


Thursday/Friday: Ecclesiastes 
We have to be careful when reading Ecclesiastes because its tone can feel very negative and pessimistic.  But Solomon (near the end of his life) displays a level of honesty in this written sermon that should have a tremendous impact on the way we view our earthly lives, as well as our earthly endeavors. This book is not intended to destroy our hope in this life. It is meant to direct our hope to the one who gives us life. 


Saturday: 1Kings 10-11  
Today we read about Queen Sheeba visiting Solomon and is overwhelmed by his wisdom and splendor.  As well as how Solomon marries many foreign wives and angers God.




Personal Insight
Ecclesiastes 1:14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.


Imagine the man who had it all. The wealthiest, wisest King there ever was saying that life’s pursuits and pleasures are meaningless.  This isn’t a judgement that Solomon rushed to.  He dedicated himself to uncovering the purpose behind every endeavor. He built magnificent structures, amassed tremendous wealth, explored every kind of pleasure, and received unparalleled wisdom.  And yet came to the sobering reality that life under the sun; life lived solely from a human perspective leads to nothing lasting.  


Solomon uses the phrase “under the sun” 29 times in Ecclesiastes. To me this phrase is used to describe a life limited to earthly experiences, a life that excludes God.  Solomon says that when we live without reference to our creator, we end up chasing empty promises.  Wealth, power, pleasure, popularity, all of these things slip through our hands like trying to hold onto the wind and will almost certainly leave us hollow.  In our modern world we’re told meaning and value is found in the next big accomplishment, the newest experience, or the newest “thing”.  But Ecclesiastes tells us that these things, while captivating, cannot fill the void.  Solomon warns us that if we try to find meaning in things “under the sun” we will come up empty.  Each accomplishment or thing will leave us starving for more.  The high felt from each moment of pleasure will be followed by an inevitable low.


We SHOULD pursue wisdom, knowledge, happiness, etc. But we should pursue these things to the glory of God. Recognizing that just like Solomon, apart from God, this pursuit will lead us to despair because we can never know or have enough.


Prayer
Father, thank you for your word and preserving it for us. Solomons guidance, wisdom, and warnings are just as relevant now as they were 3000 years ago when he recorded them.  Help us to have a depth of understanding with these Proverbs and lessons that will change the way we view earthly possessions and so-called pleasures.  Thank you for forgiving us when we lose our way in this area of our lives.  And thank you for that thing that is far greater than anything we could possess; salvation through Jesus Christ. Amen


This week’s devotion was prepared by Jonathan King.