Seperate Loves

KJV: II Chronicles 8:11. And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her: for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the ark of the LORD hath come.

I see that I do this with my sins. There are certain things that I love to do, or think about, or see, or hear, or whatever, but I can't allow those things in the holy places. They can't occupy the same space as those things which are holy to God. I must separate the two. That means building a "house" and the expense and sacrifice involved in that, for my "wife" or sin to dwell in. There I can sustain her, there I can provide for her, there I can keep her out of view and out of contact with the holy things in my life. Then I can read my Bible a little easier, I can pray without being convicted as much, I can certainly hide her from other Christians. When I spend time with God, "she" isn't around to interfere or embarrass me, but...

She calls to me. She has a way of reeling me back in. To be sure, she doesn't want to have anything to do with the holy things around me except contaminate them and turn my heart from them. I must turn to answer her call, and in so doing I turn away from God. In order to spend time with my mistress of sin I must intentionally and knowingly walk away from God. I can not spend time with both my "wife" and my God. I enter into the house I have built for her; the secret place in my heart to which I alone have the key. God calls, but I ignore Him. I open the door to her house and without turning to look outside, even forcefully closing my eyes as if to block out the Light, I close the door. There's just a twinge of regret as I shut the door on the One who loves me and spend time with the whore who's ways lead to hell.

I can't spend time with both. I can't be in the holy place where God resides and spend time with this "wife". I should choose more wisely. I must divorce myself of this sin, burn down the house I have built her, and remove any possibility of going back. I must set my heart on God that my joy, my pleasure, my hope, my contentment, my sustenance, everything comes from Him. If I learn to love the Lord MY God with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength, there is no room for anything else. So the question is, "From whom shall I be separated, the Egyptian wife, or the Lord MY God?" Only a fool would choose the former. God my Father, grant me wisdom.

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