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Read: 1 Kings 3:1-3
Listen: 1 Kings 3

Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. 1 Kings 3:1

Solomon begins well. He loves God. He seeks wisdom. He wants to please the Lord. Except. He keeps the “high places.” What begins as a small compromise becomes a defining pattern. He multiplies wealth, wives and alliances. He tolerates worship that God said must not continue. His “except” eventually leads to full idolatry.

Compromise rarely begins loudly or dramatically. Most compromises are quiet. Normal. Socially acceptable. They rarely blow up in chapter one of our story. Our compromises can even look spiritual. I follow God…except I still consume content that slowly poisons my heart. I am generous…except that I protect certain comforts as untouchable. I love like Jesus…except with the person who wounded me. Spiritual compromise may seem wise, but it always costs you something—clarity fades, conviction dulls and distance from God grows. God doesn’t just want loving words from us. He wants a fully surrendered heart.

TODAY: Ask God to help you name one “except” in your life. Be honest as you identify it. Then confess it to God. Call it what it is. Repent—turn away—and then take one specific step to realign your obedience (text an apology, delete an app, end a subscription). Return your heart to him, fully.

Explore Solomon’s story further on the Beyond the Weekend Podcast—find it wherever you listen to podcasts or on YouTube HERE.