I am someone who dislikes repetition. I LOATH REPETITION! I can’t stand it! Repeating myself over and over and over again irritates me. When can’t people remember the first time? Why does it take 25 times of saying the same thing for human beings to understand? Yes, there are times when repetition is warranted, and I welcome it at the appropriate time. But, if it were up to me, I would only say things once– maybe twice on a good day. Yet God repeats himself always.

In 1 Kings, God mandated Solomon to follow his ways and walk in his commandments like his father, David. The Lord repeated this mandate several times in the beginning chapters of the book. But Solomon did not listen. He disobeyed God by fornicating with the Amorites, Edomites, the Moabites, etc. Solomon did evil in God’s sight (1 Kings 11) and refused to turn from his ways.

As I read this, I thought to myself, God, you repeat yourself ALOT! God constantly repeats himself to us. Yet, we don’t listen. We do what we want to do, and when it fails, we come back to God with our tail into between our legs. Why won’t we listen? When won’t we listen to God’s words? His words are exact. His words are final. His words never fail. When God speaks, He fulfills his mandate. God repeated to Solomon the same commission, follow my ways and my commandants. He mandated Solomon to follow him as David, his father, followed God.

We won’t we listen? Do we not believe God’s word? Do we believe we have this under control? Do we think we know more than God? The bible reminds us in

Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

We are not God. We do not know our beginning from our end, but God does. When he speaks, he speaks with our best interest at heart. He knows the road we take, and if we follow him, we will succeed. Stop the repetition and take a listen, a real listen to God!