Scripture

“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 can govern this great people of yours?”

Observation

Solomon goes up to Gibeon to worship God and offer 1000 burnt offerings. The Lord appears to Solomon in a dream and asks him to name what he wants and the Lord will give it to him.

Solomon asks the Lord for wisdom to rule His people and to know the difference between right and wrong. The Lord promises that He will give him the wisdom he asked for and the wealth and fame he did not ask for.

Application

We all need God’s wisdom, an understanding heart as Solomon describes it. Whether it is leading people, relationships or work, we need wisdom to navigate through life.

This passage shows clearly that God will give wisdom to all who ask Him for it. The problem is that our prayers are often for God to fix what might have been prevented through wisdom.

Ask for wisdom and God will give it to you.

We need wisdom at home to order our households well- wisdom to deal lovingly with spouse and children, wisdom to budget and spend our income wisely, wisdom to know what activities are good and which are bad.

At work we need wisdom to know how best to serve our employer, wisdom to administer our responsibilities well.

At church we need wisdom to know what to volunteer for and what to pass by.

Much wisdom comes from handing our cares to the Lord and listening for the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Father I thank you that you give wisdom to all who seek it from you. Help me Lord to listen to your Spirit in every situation so that I will learn your wisdom. Amen.

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+21.1-24

Scripture
Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give you my ancestral inheritance.”

Observation
King Ahab demands that Naboth sell his vineyard to him. When Naboth refuses because it is his ancestral land, Ahab gets all sulky.

Queen Jezebel, always a woman of action, arranges a public feast where some scoundrels are to falsely accuse Naboth of cursing God and the king. Naboth is stoned and Ahab gets the vineyard.

The Lord is angered by this. Elijah pronounces judgement against Ahab and Jezebel.

Application
We all exercise power and influence over others to some extent even though we are not all leaders of nations.

The issue here is how we exercise this power. Ahab and Jezebel used their power for purely selfish goals rather than for the good f their kingdom. They were not afraid to take the life of a man of integrity in order to get their way.

Our words and deeds can build people up or pull them down. Our actions may seem acceptable to us but destroy the livelihood, reputation or family of another.

The way of godly influence is through service, laying down our own rights and desires for the sake of others.

Prayer
Father help me to live a life of sacrifice and service to build others up and to glorify your name. Amen.

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+17.1-24

Scripture
“Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”

Observation
Elijah says to King Ahab that there will be no rain or dew in the land except by his (Elijah’s) word. The Lord then tells Elijah to go to the Cherith Wadi where the ravens will feed him. So Elijah goes there, and the Lord provides for him, but the wadi eventually dries up.

The Lord sends Elijah to Zarephath, where he finds a widow gathering sticks to cook a last meal for her son and her self. Elijah declares to her that her jar of meal and jug of oil will not run out until the drought is over.

The son later becomes ill and dies. Elijah stretches himself over the child and calls out to the Lord, and the son revives.

Application
God cares for His people. When we trust Him with our possessions, no matter how meagre, and our family and life, we can know that He will provide what we need,

It’s not always in a way that we imagine or are comfortable with. Who wants to be feed by ravens?

The Lord feeds our bodies and our spirits. The word of God is the bread of life. Without regular reading and meditation on God’s word our spirits will shrivel to nothing.

We live in a land that is the reverse of Elijah’s situation- we have plenty of material resources, but there is a famine for hearing God’s word.

Prayer
Lord help me to be attentive to your word in every situation of my life. Grant me understanding and wisdom as I study the Scriptures. Amen.

Scripture
“I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for- both riches and honour- so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.”

Observation
Solomon makes an alliance with the Pharaoh of Egypt. He shows his love for the Lord by obeying the statues of his father David.

He goes to Gibeon to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. While there, the Lord appears to him in a dream and tells him to ask for whatever he wants. Solomon replies that he needs a discerning heart to rule the kingdom wisely.

The Lord is pleased with Solomon and promises to give him a discerning heart which he asked for and riches and honour which he did not ask for.

Application
Solomon was already wise in acknowledging that he needed wisdom from the Lord. God granted this very selfless request and much more.

When God promises to meet our needs, He is not stingy just doling out the bare minimum to get by. He loves to grant our requests when they come from a simple humble heart. He goes far beyond what we can think to ask Him for, giving us things that we never think to request.

Jesus tells us to seek His kingdom first, then everything else will also be given to us. God’s grace is truly limitless, not bounded by what we can ask Him for.

Prayer
Teach me Lord how to pray the prayers that please you. Show me your ways and I will walk in them. Amen.