Solomon’s kingdom flourishes. I love his wide-ranging curiosity:
He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants… and animals, birds, small creatures and fish. And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.
Morale in Israel was high. A new visitor comes:
When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, which brought honor to the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a large group of attendants and a great caravan of camels loaded with spices, large quantities of gold and precious jewels.
When she met with Solomon, she talked with him about everything she had on her mind. Solomon had answers for all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her.
Notice this detail:
When the queen realized how very wise Solomon was, and when she saw the palace he had built, she was overwhelmed. She was also amazed at the food on his tables, the organization of his officials and their splendid clothing, the cup-bearers…
She exclaimed to the king, “Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true! I didn’t believe it until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact I had not heard the half of it! Your wisdom and prosperity are far beyond what I was told. How happy your people must be!
“What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom! Praise the Lord your God, who delights in you and has placed on you the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness.”
The overwhelming force of his excellence, down to even details of how food was served, spoke to her with power. Her response was to marvel how powerfully the favor of God was on this man.
Most of us – myself included – are extremely cynical about government. We expect nothing but nonsense from our politicians. But…. look what happens when leaders seek wisdom. Nothing becomes impossible. I admire the way Solomon was so overwhelmed by the responsibilities on his shoulders that he asked for wisdom.
QUESTION: Do you think the people in power in the governments around the world need even more wisdom to solve the problems they face?
What would happen if each of us asked for wisdom to be granted our leaders?
What would happen if each of us sought wisdom for ourselves?
How great could our businesses and governments be if we too prayed, “I am like a little child who does not know his way around. I have so much responsibility that I’m not even worthy of. Would you grant me some wisdom?”
God is the Ultimate Alchemist. A trillion times smarter than us. As my friend Heather says, “For every question known to man, there’s an answer known to God.”
-In the mind of God there is a solution to our energy problems.
-In the mind of God there is a solution to pollution and our environmental problems.
-In the mind of God there is a solution to our states and countries’ deficits and budget shortfalls.
-In the mind of God there is a solution to your traffic problems, conversion problems, your customer service problems. And the problems that plague your family. He can supply that breakthrough innovation that you’ve been seeking. The one that produces the quantum leap, propelling you farther than you’ve ever gone before.
Some situations are simply too difficult for human wisdom and logic alone. As Einstein said, you cannot solve problems at the same level of consciousness that created them.
We begin by asking. One of my favorite promises is in the book of James: “If any man lacks wisdom let him ask of God who gives generously and without reproach and it will be given to him.”
Solomon’s father David said, “Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.”
I think a lot of us believe deep down that God’s plan is to plague us with problems until He finally pounds us into submission. That route is an option. No doubt many of us have traveled a few miles on that road.
But the Queen of Sheba recognized the favor of God. She understood that God’s heart and desire was to bless his people. God is a King who invites us to be his Children. He’s graceful and lavish.
When you really understand that, when you feel that right down to your toes, you stop trying to punish yourself. You begin to live in an awareness of beauty and grace. When you know that in your heart and respond to it with gratitude, you see things that were invisible before. Obstacles become opportunities.
In Daniel chapter 10, Daniel has been searching for the answer to a mystery. An angel is sent:
The man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling.
Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.
But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.”
Seek wisdom always. And please understand that sometimes there is opposition to the wisdom you seek. But if you have asked, know that your request has been heard.
Perry Marshall
No comments:
Post a Comment