Today’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 83; 1 Chronicles 29:23-25; 2 Chronicles 1:1; 1 Kings 2: 13 through 3:4; 2 Chronicles 1: 2-6; 1 Kings 3: 5-15; 2 Chronicles 1:7-13
What if you were more successful than any person before you?
How would you handle the test of success?
In today’s scripture, a story begins to unfold that will show us how one man handled success. It will take a few days of reading to find out if he passed his test, but there’s plenty to learn from his first date with success!
And the Lord exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel, and he gave Solomon greater royal splendor than any king in Israel before him. 1 Chronicles 29:25
Solomon was very young when he became king. Scholars can’t seem to agree on his age; I saw everything from eight to twenty years old—let’s just say he was very young to be the king of Israel. At this young age Solomon had three important things going for him:
- Solomon had a great example to follow, his father king David
- Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David… 1 Kings 3:3
- He led all the leaders of Israel and the entire assembly to the place of worship to consult the Lord and offer sacrifices to him. 2 Chronicles 1: 2-6
Everything seemed to be going well for Solomon and then things went from good to great!
…God appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!” 1 Kings 3:5
Okay folks, Solomon was twenty; think about the average twenty-year old of today, what would he ask for?
Probably not what Solomon asked for—
- An understanding heart
- To know the difference between right and wrong
The Lord was pleased and granted him his request. God also gave Solomon what he did not ask for—riches and fame!
From what we’ve read, it seems that Solomon saw his success as a responsibility to lead well, not a license to rule over others.
I’d say that so far Solomon is handing success pretty well.
I am reminded of another person who was shown his future through a dream—Joseph. **See January 14th post, “When Our Dreams are Shattered”
Joseph didn’t do as well as Solomon; as soon as he woke up from his dream he immediately told his father and brothers that they would be bowing down to him. I guess it’s safe to say that Joseph wouldn’t have asked for wisdom if he’d been in Solomon’s position. I guess that’s why Joseph had 13 years of “pride removal” in a jail cell.
If your future was as bright as Solomon’s or Joseph’s, would God be able to use you immediately like Solomon because you knew where you wisdom came from or would you have gone to prison with Joseph for pride removal?
Lord, I believe you have a special success plan for each one of us. Help us to seek You and the tools that Solomon desired–an understanding heart and the wisdom to know what’s right and wrong, so that we will be ready to handle the success You have for us.
In Jesus Name! Amen and Amen
Thanking God for You!
If ever thewre was a more timely message !
Just consider what has happened over and over again in today’s news ……. many successful people are failing. And, often failing because they put themselves and their success ahead of everything else.
There are many paradoxes in the God’s Word and direction to us that we need to be reminded of ….. may be freqquently rather than every now and then:
- find freedom in surrendering
- the first shall be last and the last first
- the higher up in leadership you find yourself the more obligated you become to SERVE those whom you lead …. those “under” you.
- the greater test of character is in success not failure… the higher up on the flag pole you get the easier it is for your butt to show.
- and the ulimtae paradox …. there is no greater love than that of laying down one’s life for a friend.
God was the ULTIMATE TEACHER and I love Proverbs.
My take away from today’s post was pray for the right things and as you reminded us before ….. be thankful !!
Thanks for the great message, Dianne! I have never considered myself to be a prideful person. But, I know there have been so many times that I have been convicted in the small everyday things. Everytime I make a decision to do or not to do something before bringing it to God, that is in a sense pride. When we get used to “doing the small things” or “making the small decisions” that fosters an independence in us that is so easy to get used to and not even think about. I know that God cares about even the small details of our lives, and I need to make sure that I live under His guidance and leading everyday.
Wow! Not seeking God’s guidiance could be prideful when we think we don’t need any help! Doreen, that is a life changing thought!
Thanks for sharing!
Solomon’s request of wisdom is one of my top 100 favorites of the Bible….Lord, that I would be so noble as to ask the same thing in response to that question!
One thing that struck me yesterday that I’ve never noticed before is how Solomon comes on the scene takes care of immediate business. It reminded me of how a male lion becomes the leader of a pack. As gruesome as it is, a young male lion will run off the older male in charge and often kill any cubs from the previous leader. That’s what I saw Solomon do – he flexed his kingly muscles, removed or decapitated, anyone who was going to be a problem and had the kingdom “firmly in his grip.”
Wisdom…it is the ability to apply knowledge, right? Thanks for the continue journey, Dianne!