to what do I cling?

When I think about clinging...
I picture a baby monkey at the zoo
clinging to it's momma's back.

Or a vine that climbs a fence,
clinging to the lattice
upon which it grows up and over.

Even a skirt, worn long on a dry day,
charged with static electricity
that constantly clings and tangles.

So what an interesting verse I read
here at this place in Solomon's reign...

But King Solomon loved
many foreign women...
from the nations of whom
the Lord had said to the children of Israel,
“You shall not intermarry with them,
nor they with you.
Surely they will turn away your hearts
after their gods.”
Solomon clung to these in love.
1 Kings 11:1-2NKVJ

This, the wisest of all men, of all kings,
accountable for all that God had given...
clung to something in love, that was not God.

This choice of words... clung,
turns out to mean more than I thought.
For it might be likened to the baby monkey,
possibly to the vine on the fence.
But probably not so much like
​the bothersome skirt.

For it means more than just grabbing onto.
This means to keep close,
with loyalty and affection.
To follow hard after, to pursue,
​to be joined together.
To overtake, to catch by pursuit.
To cleave, or remain faithful.

These foreign women...
the ones that God had warned the Israelites
NOT to marry long before...
Solomon clung to these in love.
Solomon followed hard after these women.
Solomon joined together with these women.
Solomon remained faithful to these women.

And while that seems to make
Solomon out to be a great guy.
Realize that there were 1000 of them...
these foreign wives.
And they were the ones about which
God said, "No!"

Even in all his wisdom,
Solomon clung to the wrong thing.

For we serve a jealous God.
And He wants us to cling to Him,
rather than any earthly thing or person.

God wants us to follow hard after Him.
God want us to join together with Him.
God want us to remain faithful to Him.

And anything that gets before that,
in the way of that,
in between that clinging...
causes us to be distracted
and disoriented.

And we will end up turned toward
and worshipping
the wrong god.
Just like Solomon.

...and his heart
was not loyal to the Lord his God.
1 Kings 11:4

It would have been wise
for Solomon to keep in mind
the advice his father, David had given
in the last days of his life...

And keep the charge
of the Lord your God:
to walk in His ways,
to keep His statutes,
His commandments,
His judgments, and
His testimonies,
as it is written in the Law of Moses,
that you may prosper
in all that you do
and wherever you turn.
1 Kings 2:3

For David knew well
how easily distraction
can pull us away from our purpose.

And clinging to God first and foremost
will keep us pursuing and faithful
to all He has planned for our lives.

Word of God,
train me, today...
to look for worldly distractions
that entice me to pursue, to cling,
to let go of those and rather follow hard after You,
​with faithful affection.