Good day dear friends. May the rich blessings of God be yours in ways that bless those with whom you interact today; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text for today comes from 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14: 10 Then David slept with his ancestors, and was buried in the city of David. 11 The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 12 So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established. 3:3 Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David; only, he sacrificed and offered incense at the high places. 4 The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the principal high place; Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, "Ask what I should give you." 6And Solomon said, "You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?" 10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 God said to him, "Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you. 14 If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life." (New Revised Standard Version)
I have shared many times how when a little child, one of my favorite games was to play, "If you had one wish," and we would change that wish month to month, sometimes adding up to "three wishes," depending on how greedy or needy we felt. Not once do I remember asking for wisdom, and yes, years later you can still tell. But this is the passage where that does happen, the young son of the now recently deceased great king, David, is visited by God. Take note that the verses give credit to Solomon for loving God and walking in the statutes of his father, David. But Solomon gets visited by God and gets that one wish that we all dreamed of getting one day. Solomon showed his wisdom even before asking, by first acknowledging that he and his father had been richly blessed by God, and humbly admitting that to reign in his place, Solomon is very blessed, but does make the request to be able to have "an understanding mind," one that would help him know the difference between "good and evil," and again acknowledging that the challenge to rule effectively was a great one. God grants him not only that request but also shares with him what he did not request, riches and honor. God told him that most would have asked for riches, long life, or for the life of their enemies (How did God know my list??), but since he had not, he would get those things. Then God adds that if Solomon keeps the commandments and statutes of God, as did David, then he would also get long life.
Our take-away? First, we should love God. If we have that, we have everything, but it is also a great foundation for the other things we need in life. Wisdom comes to those who love God and ask it of God. Riches, the kind that matter and are not subject to being stolen or transferred out of accounts, are ours as well. Honor comes to those who learn to honor God and all of God's people. And long life comes in showing respect to all people. Everything else, may also come your way, but you'll be in the better, prepared place, to receive them and use them as a blessing to God and God's people.
PRAYER: Gracious God, may my heart yearn to love You more. I understand that in loving You I am in a special, blessed place. From here wherever You may lead me, will be an added blessing to my life. Grant me eyes and ears to see and hear that which You are sharing so that I may be a blessing to You and Yours. I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
