1 Kings 2:3 ERV
[3] Now, carefully obey all the commands of the LORD your God. Carefully obey all his laws, commands, decisions, and agreements. Obey everything that is written in the Law of Moses. If you do this, you will be successful at whatever you do and wherever you go.
Good Morning!
The verse above were some of the last words of wisdom from King David to his son, Solomon, who was to take David’s place and become king over Israel.
Solomon, as you may remember, is known as the wisest man to ever live. He listened to his father’s advice and instead of asking for riches or long life, he asked God for wisdom. God then blessed him with wisdom as no other man has ever had nor ever will.
1 Kings 3:10-14 ERV
[10] The LORD was happy that Solomon asked for wisdom. [11] So God said to him, “You did not ask for long life and riches for yourself. You did not ask for the death of your enemies. You asked for the wisdom to listen and make the right decisions. [12] So I will give you what you asked for. I will make you wise and intelligent. I will make you wiser than anyone who ever lived or ever will live. [13] And I will also give you what you did not ask for. You will have riches and honor all your life. There will be no other king in the world as great as you. [14] And I will give you a long life if you follow me and obey my laws and commands as your father David did.”
What can we learn from this advice and Solomon’s obedience? Well, simply put — obedience to God’s Word will make us successful. Solomon listened to his father and was obedient to the call that God had on his life to lead Israel as king. God responded to Solomon’s obedient heart by blessing him more than he could have ever imagined, not only with wisdom, but with riches and honor, because his heart was right before God.
This is not to say that everyone who has an obedient heart will have riches and honor, but it shows that God honors hearts that are steadfast for Him. He may not give us all riches, but He will make sure that we are provided for and that blessings will follow us all the days of our lives. Read Deuteronomy 28.
Blessings of the Lord ARE what make a person rich, not money, wealth, power, fame, or glory. People have defined being rich as these things, but God defines being rich as walking in His ways and being obedient. When we do, everything in our lives will fall into place. We’ll live feeling fulfilled and not always trying to reach for the next “big thing” that we try to satisfy our souls with. We will never be fulfilled with the things that the world has to offer. Only God can give us fulfillment and fill the void in our lives that men try to fill with earthly things.
Proverbs 10:22 NKJV
[22] The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.
Psalm 84:11 NKJV
[11] For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.
Solomon wrote many wise sayings throughout his life that we can learn from. Here is one of my favorites to remember:
Ecclesiastes 6:7-9 TLB
[7-8] Wise men and fools alike spend their lives scratching for food and never seem to get enough. Both have the same problem, yet the poor man who is wise lives a far better life. [9] A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush; mere dreaming of nice things is foolish; it’s chasing the wind.
So we can be happy and live a better life, just be being wise and following God’s Word. We don’t have to have riches, power, fame and all of the things the world has to offer. Those things are nice, but they are not what make us truly happy. Let us all stop “chasing the wind” and just start living as wise people of God!
I love you and am praying for you today!
Dad