What to do After?

 

    After a life changing event, a long term project, or anything that changes you over time it can be difficult to find your footing when it is over.  How do you move forward?  When you have changed, but everything at home is the same, how do you cope?  You have to give yourself time to adjust to the changes around, to the new person that you are, and find out how to go forward with God.

    Solomon had given two decades to his big projects.  He was a different man, a different ruler, from when he began.  He had made some major achievements, but when it was over he had to be thinking of what to do now.  

    God did not want Solomon to get depress, frustrated, or bored.  He heard Solomon's prayers, so He went to the king.  He reminded Solomon that Solomon's purpose was to serve Him.  If he did that, then his family would continue to reign.  However, if Solomon forgot all He had done for His people, then he would become an object of ridicule. 

    Solomon rewarded the king of Tyre for all he had done for Israel by giving him 20 towns on the outskirts of Galilee.  One town for each year of providing supplies.  The king of Tyre was not happy.  He had given 9,000lbs of gold to Solomon and it was all used to build up Jerusalem.  The towns in comparison were shabby.  

    All the people that had survived war (prisoners of war) had become slaves.  Solomon used the prisoners of war to build God's house, his palace, rebuild cities destroyed by war.  They were slaves, but he treated them well where they did not just die from the strain of the forced labor.  He understood they were people, but he had to give them purpose to keep them from uprising.  Not one slave was an Israelite.  They were soldiers, servants, commanders, captains, and Calvary.  

    Solomon never stopped looking forward.  He was always looking for ways to make life better for his people.  Keep the economy going and work for them.  He began to build up ships for commerce.  That money would be good for everyone and political endeavors.   

1 Kings 9