Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 10; 2 Chronicles 9:1-28; Psalm 49
After hearing about Solomon’s wisdom and success, the Queen of Sheba came to visit. She brought spices, gold, and precious jewels, but she also brought a lot of hard questions. She was impressed with Solomon’s answers, but she was also amazed by his palace, the food that was prepared, the organization of his team, and the splendid clothing worn by his entourage.
She exclaimed to the king, “Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true! I didn’t believe what was said 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 you on 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.” – 1 Kings 10:6-9
SOLOMON’S LEADERSHIP CAUSED OTHERS TO PRAISE GOD.
When the Queen of Sheba saw all that Solomon had accomplished, she gave praise to the God of Israel. She recognized Solomon’s wisdom as being a gift from God and his wealth as being a result of God’s generous blessings. She credited God for all that Solomon was accomplishing, and for his ability to rule the people with both justice and righteousness.
Solomon’s wealth continued to increase over the years. He built a huge throne for himself out of ivory and gold. There were six steps going up to the throne; each step had a figure of a lion on each side. The grandeur of this throne was like no other that had ever been built. He drank from cups of solid gold. Once every three years, Solomon sent ships to bring back gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. He had 1,400 chariots and 4,000 stalls to house his 12,000 horses.
So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth. Kings from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him. Year after year everyone who visited brought him gifts of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules. – 2 Chronicles 9:22-24
IT IS GOOD TO FIND SATISFACTION IN GOD ALONE.
Solomon had all this wealth and lived extravagantly, yet it was not enough. He allowed his heart to stray from his love for God to his love for women. With 700 wives and 300 concubines, Solomon allowed his heart to turn away from the Lord, and he began to worship the gods these women brought into his household. King Solomon had accomplished so much and was known for his great leadership, but he lost his favor with God because he was unfaithful. Peace was replaced by conflict, and ten of the tribes of Israel were given to Jeroboam, whom Solomon had hired to lead his labor force (1 Kings 11).
What will you do with the blessings God has bestowed on you? What will your response be to the applause and accolades that come from your accomplishments? Will all God has given you be enough? Let’s commit today to be satisfied with the opportunities God has given us, finding satisfaction in His plan for our lives. Let us faithfully follow God with integrity and godliness, recognizing that there is nothing in this world worth letting our hearts stray from the One who created us for His purposes.
Those who are wise must finally die,
just like the foolish and senseless,
leaving all their wealth behind.
The grave is their eternal home,
where they will stay forever.
They may name their estates after themselves,
but their fame will not last.
They will die, just like animals.
This is the fate of fools,
though they are remembered as being wise. – Psalm 49:10-13
How often do we find ourselves unsatisfied with all that God has blessed us with? We look at what others have in comparison to how little we have, rather than praising the Lord for how faithfully He has taken care of us. We want more but today’s scripture reminds us that more will never be enough. We were created to find satisfaction when we walk in relationship with God; nothing is sweeter than allowing God’s presence to fill the empty corners of our heart.
Father, thank you for the reminder today that you have called us to respond to leadership opportunities with humility. May you be glorified through our actions and may others see our giftings as a reflection of who you are. May we look for your approval rather than hungering for the applause and accolades of man. We recognize today that the physical blessings of this world can be a distraction from all that you want to bless us with. May we be faithful to depend on you, finding our joy in things that have eternal value rather than the pleasures of this earthly life. May nothing distract us from our worship of you and you only. Amen.