Basic HTML Version
Solomon’s Deep Repentance
43
followed him we can see the sad influence of Solomon’s corrupting
of his God-given powers.
In anguish as he reflected bitterly on his life choices, Solomon
declared, “Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner
destroys much good.” “Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment,
and cause it to give off a foul odor; so does a little folly to one
respected for wisdom and honor.”
Ecclesiastes 9:18
;
10:1
.
Beyond our knowledge or control, our influence affects others in
blessing or cursing. It may be heavy with the gloom of discontent
and selfishness, or poisonous with the deadly taint of cherished sin;
or it may be charged with the life-giving power of faith, courage,
and hope, and sweet with the fragrance of love. But potent for good
or for evil it will be.
One soul misled—who can estimate the loss! And yet one rash
act, one thoughtless word on our part, may exert so deep an influence
on the life of another that it will prove to be the person’s ruin. One
blemish of character may turn many away from Christ.
Every act, every word, will bear fruit. Every deed of kindness,
of obedience, of self-denial, will reproduce itself in others, and
through them in still others. So every act of envy, malice, or discord
will spring up in a “root of bitterness” that will defile many.
He-
brews 12:15
. Thus the sowing of good and evil goes on through the
centuries.
[32]