The basic story of life is that of the prodigal son. It is the story of mankind, of Samson, of Israel, of the Christian Church, of each one of us.

We are given something wonderful, but because of the ease with which it was received we really can't appreciate it. In one way or another we have to make it our own if we are to keep it.

To have and to hold something, especially for eternity, we have to receive it twice.

This is true of our health, isn't it? As a young person we are likely to take our health and energy for granted. If we do not follow principles of healthy living we may find by the time we are fifty we wish we had followed a better diet and had exercised. Regaining our health can be a very arduous undertaking, that is, if we have another chance at health.

The same is true of our home, or our marriage, or job, or anything else that came to us without too much effort. We may become careless and the next thing you know we have lost our home or marriage or job or money and may or may not be able to retrieve it. Gaining back what we have lost can be extremely difficult if not impossible.

This was the case with Israel.

God blessed King David because David had a heart for God and endeavored to live righteously. The result was David had marvelous success in conquering the nations around him. Garrisons were established from Edom to Lebanon, from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates.

Solomon inherited a mighty empire. God continued to bless the son of David until Israel was exceedingly wealthy prospering in every area. The Israelites were all officials or soldiers. Slaves from the surrounding tribes did the manual labor.

Rulers came from many countries to hear the wisdom of Solomon and to behold the magnificence of the Temple of God and the palace of Solomon with its ivory throne flanked with the twelve lions. The wall surrounding Jerusalem was constructed from huge stones cut precisely at the quarry and then brought to the city.

The Temple of God itself was a marvel, an impregnable fortress of marble and gold, situated on a high point of the mountain on which Jerusalem was built. The total wealth of the nation of Israel at this time would be difficult to estimate.

The kingdom of Solomon is an example of great value given to a king and his people, a value gained by a previous ruler whose hands were stained with the blood of numerous battles.

Things of great value that are given freely are often lost by those who were not involved in acquiring them.

To be continued.