Bible in a Year - Women’s Thematic Reading Plan | Day 116

Day 116 of the Women’s Bible Plan: Read 1 Kings 11:1-13 and reflect on Solomon’s spiritual decline through his marriage choices and intimate relationships. Today’s devotional reminds women that marriage and close relationships deeply affect spiritual faithfulness, and that the fear of the Lord must remain at the center of love, marriage, and family life.

🌸  Dear Sister, welcome to Day 116 of our reading journey. 

Marriage is not only about two people loving one another, living together, and building a family. Marriage also deeply shapes the heart, worship, values, life direction, and spiritual faithfulness of a person. When an intimate relationship draws us closer to God, it is a blessing. But when a relationship slowly pulls our heart away from Him, even strong feelings, beautiful promises, and outward security can become spiritually dangerous.

Solomon had once received wisdom from God. He built the temple, prayed before the Lord, and experienced God’s extraordinary grace. Yet in 1 Kings Chapter 11, Scripture shows us a painful turning point: Solomon loved many strange women. His wives turned away his heart after other gods, so that his heart was no longer perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

This passage is not meant to make us despise marriage or view love with fear. Rather, it reminds us that intimate relationships carry deep spiritual influence. The people we love, depend on, and listen to can slowly shape our hearts. Marriage choices are not only lifestyle choices; they can also become choices that shape spiritual direction.

A Minute of Grace

1 Kings 11:1-13 records Solomon’s serious spiritual turning away in his later years. The chapter begins by saying that king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh. These women came from the nations concerning which the LORD had said unto the children of Israel, “Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Yet Solomon clave unto these in love.

Scripture clearly tells us that when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. He also built high places for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. A man who had received great wisdom and experienced great grace slowly turned from the Lord through the influence of intimate relationships.

The main issue in this passage is not only that Solomon had many wives and concubines. The deeper issue is that his heart was drawn away through these relationships and turned aside from the LORD. Marriage and intimate relationships are never merely emotional matters. They also affect the direction of worship. When a person repeatedly compromises in a relationship and places another person’s desires, values, idols, or way of life above the Word of God, the heart can drift away almost without noticing.

For women, this passage is a gentle but serious warning. Love is important, and marriage is precious. But no relationship can replace God’s first place in our lives. A truly blessed marriage is not built only on circumstances, attraction, romance, or security. It is built on whether two people are willing to fear God, obey God, and draw near to God together.

Today’s theme, “Solomon’s Marriage Warning,” invites us to reflect: Are my choices in relationships helping me love God more, or slowly pulling me away from Him? Am I compromising in faith, values, boundaries, or obedience because I fear losing a relationship? Marriage choices affect spiritual faithfulness. In love and marriage, we need not only affection, but also clarity, prayer, discernment, and the fear of the Lord.

Whispers for the Heart

1 Solomon had received wisdom from God, yet he gradually turned away from the Lord through intimate relationships. Have you ever noticed that certain relationships are affecting your spiritual condition, values, time, worship, or obedience to God? Are you willing to honestly bring these influences before the Lord?

2 Scripture says that Solomon’s heart was turned away after other gods. Today our “other gods” may not be visible idols. They may be human approval, emotional dependency, the security of marriage, material comfort, reputation, control, or self-satisfaction. In relationships, what are you most tempted to place above God?

3 Marriage choices affect spiritual faithfulness. Whether you are single, dating, preparing for marriage, or already married, how does this passage invite you to reconsider whether the fear of the Lord is truly at the center of your choices, communication, and family decisions?

As you read 1 Kings 11:1-13 today, do not see this passage only as Solomon’s personal failure. Let it also become a spiritual reminder for your own intimate relationships. May God help us not to lose clarity because of love, not to lay down our faith because of marriage, and not to let human influence draw us away from our first love for the Lord.

Take a quiet breath before you begin. Bring your view of love, marriage, compromise, emotional attachment, and hidden fears before the Lord, and let His Word meet you there.

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🪕 Response Hymn: 

1 Kings 11:1-13 (KJV)

11 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:

2 Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.

3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.

5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.

7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.

8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,

10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.

11 Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

12 Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.

13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.

🪕 Response Hymn: 

💡 Closing Thought · Love Must Not Replace God

After reading 1 Kings 11:1-13, we see that Solomon’s greatest danger was not a lack of wisdom or a lack of spiritual experience. His heart slowly turned away through intimate relationships. Choices that may have appeared to be only about love, marriage, and daily life eventually affected his worship and spiritual faithfulness.

As we close this page and return to real life, we all long to be loved, understood, and accompanied. We all desire warm and stable relationships. But remember this: no relationship, no matter how close, can replace God; and no love, no matter how deep, can become the center of life. A truly blessed marriage does not pull us away from God, but helps us fear Him more. Healthy love does not ask us to lay down our faith, but walks with us toward Him.

May today’s Scripture remind you to remain clear-minded in love, reverent in marriage, and committed to keeping the Lord first in every close relationship. May God guard your heart, so that the relationships you choose, cherish, and build will not steal your faithfulness to Him, but become a testimony that glorifies Him.

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