Good morning,
Solomon
was a special person right from the start. The Bible tells us that the
Lord loved him and told his parents and his prophet of this love. It
seems that Nathan gave him the nickname “beloved of the Lord.” and
taught him carefully to love and respect his God in return. When
Solomon suddenly found himself appointed by his father to be the next
king, Solomon took his fear of failure to the Lord and did something
that made God deeply happy. When God asked him what he wanted as king,
Solomon asked for something for God’s people instead of asking things
just for his own benefit. He didn’t ask for control or success, like
most of our leaders today are told to work toward. What he longed for
most of all was a heart that understood his role from God’s
perspective. He recognized that he had been given this position to act
on God’s behalf for the benefit of God’s people, so that he and they
would know the difference between right and wrong. Solomon also
recognized that there was no way he could lead God’s people God’s way
unless the Lord was in control of the whole process.
Those of
us who have been given leadership responsibilities in this life would
do well to think long and hard about what happened when Solomon
responded this way to his God given responsibilities. We aren’t kings
or queens responsible to lead millions of people, but we are a part of
the kingdom of God. In our generation we talk about disciple making and
effective leadership, but we usually skip right over the first part of
the great commission in Matthew 28:18 where Jesus tells us,“I have been
given all authority in heaven and on earth.” Solomon had been well
taught and had willingly learned at a heart level the importance of
understanding his God, himself and the people he lived and worked with.
Solomon’s ideas of right and wrong were based on God’s standards and
not the cultures around him. We, on the other hand, are taught the
importance of adapting to the cultures around us in order to be approved
by those who need God. May the Lord help us to become like the young
Solomon who knew that without God’s leading and intervention he would
fail in his calling to serve his Lord and his people well.
1 Kings 3:9
Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well
and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is
able to govern this great people of yours?”
Roy Wisner
