1 Kings 4:30
“Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.”
Solomon was known for his great wisdom. We are told his understanding of psychology, botany and biology surpassed the great teachers of his day. We find people from all over the Middle East would travel to hear him speak, and when they left, they declared that the rumors of his intellect did not do justice to how brilliant he really was. The most remarkable thing about his abilities is where they came from. As we read his Biblical biography, we find these gifts were God-given and purchased through prayer.
The early years of Solomon’s life gave no evidence of a truly gifted young man. His father doubted his ability, and when he was told by God to pass the kingdom to Solomon, he all but refused. It was not until his hand was forced by the threat of civil war, that he gave the crown to his young son. David declared, “My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced…” (1 Chronicles 29:1). His father’s cabinet saw nothing remarkable in Solomon, and when Adonijah attempted to take the throne, many of David’s counselors joined him, rather than Solomon. Even Solomon, himself, doubted his abilities and prayed,
1 Kings 3:7-8 “Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.”
It seems clear, Solomon was a man of average abilities who was being called to a task way beyond himself. The beauty of Solomon’s story is that God would provide what was lacking in his life. We read, upon realizing his inability, Solomon began to seek the Lord, and in a time of praise and petition, he encounter the promises of God. Solomon heard God promise to provide him with the wisdom he needed to carry out the call.
This is always the method of God. He will call us to areas of ministry that are beyond our capacities, but as we seek Him, He promises to provide all that we need. Scripture, history, and our modern world, all attest that God will provide all that is necessary for us to accomplish that to which He has called us. Our fame may never reach that of Solomon’s, but we can be sure, the promises of God will never fail, and we can serve in whatever capacity He has called us.
Pastor Jim
One of the strangest phenomenon that I have experienced, over the years, is to hear the unbeliever quote the Bible. It fascinates me how those who have read so little of it seem, at times, to consider themselves the authority on what it says. Those who are living a lifestyle which the Bible does not condone, and quite frankly, they know to be wrong, are so quick to pull words from the Bible to justify their behavior.
As I child, I remember watching a movie where a group of people were trying to escape a town. Whatever direction they took, or road they chose, they always arrived at the same destination. They continued trying until they found the one way out. According to Jesus, life is like that. He stated that life really only consists of two roads. One is wide and crowded, but leads away from God. The other is narrow and difficult, and sadly, often ignored, but results in eternal life (Matthew 7:13-14).
The stone Ezel would forever mark a turning point in the life of David. He had been sensing more and more that Saul’s jealous fits of rage would result in his own death. To clarify the matter, he and Jonathan had developed a plan to uncover Saul’s true desires. David would skip out on the palace celebration. In a few days, it would become evident he was not there. If Saul’s reaction was hostile, they determined David must flee for his life. In order to keep David informed of the news, Jonathan would shoot three arrows into the distance. If the arrows fell short of his location, David would know it was good news. If they flew beyond him, he would know Saul’s rage had escalated, and he must live the life of a fugitive.
The intersection where Samuel and Saul meet is a crossroad between two fascinating story lines. Saul, the son of a wealthy and loving father, was commissioned to search out three stray donkeys. As they wandered through the land, they were divinely directed to the land of Zuph where they encountered Samuel. Meanwhile, the day before, while Saul was seeking donkeys, Samuel’s day was interrupted by the voice of God. We read, 
Webster defines a trial as, “A test of faith through subjection to suffering or temptation.” Paul’s current situation may be the text book case of a trial. He came to Jerusalem with the goal of sharing Christ with his friends and countrymen, spent his time preparing to share with them, but before he ever spoke a word, he found himself under attack. After his unjust arrest, he had two opportunities to share the Gospel; both times he was cut short, as the people become enraged with him. To make matters worse, his Christian friends had warned him not to go to Jerusalem in the first place. They said he would be beaten, arrested and perhaps killed. Paul believed the trip was the Lord and ignored their warnings. Now, incarcerated and facing the threat of death, it would be natural to feel as though he had failed the Lord and his situation was hopeless.
A lot of my childhood was spent on the ocean. From as far back as I can remember, my dad had a boat and we would spend the summers taking vacations to Catalina Island. It was a great way to grow up. We would spend day after day on the boat, fishing, swimming, diving and exploring. When the vacation finally came to an end and we made the 27 mile journey back to the mainland, I experienced an interesting sensation. After so much time rocking back and forth on the boat, the ground seemed especially solid.
Recently, I arrived at the church, only to discover that since I drove a different vehicle than usual, I did not have my key. First, I was frustrated at myself, then I looked for someone else to blame, and finally, called one of the other pastors to come open the office for me. When I got in, settled down, and began to unpack my bag, I discovered the key was in my bag all along. I had simply failed to take the time to look for it. Had I dug through the bag, I could have saved myself a lot of wasted time, energy and frustration. 
We live in troublesome times. Many face the fear of cancer or some other illness. The economy has shattered the comforts we once thought we had, or would enjoy. And after thousands of years of written history, the heart of man has not improved. We read of nations on the brink of war, violent crime haunting even the most peaceful communities, and global acts of terrorism on the rise. All this, and sadly much more, cause us to fear for our own safety, and for the future for our children and grandchildren.
Jacob and his eleven sons were given the best that Egypt had to offer. While the Egyptians suffered under the famine and were forced to forfeit their lands to the state in exchange for food, Jacob’s sons were given the best pasture land. While jobs were scarce, Jacob’s sons were hired to be the chief herdsmen for Pharaoh’s flocks. In a time of great difficulty, they were experiencing such blessings that Jacob predicted the family would multiply greatly and become a strong nation. It is striking to me that the favor they were enjoying, was not their own merit, but the work of another. The same is true of us. We have forgiveness of sin, eternal life, and the favor of God, not based on our own work, but due to association with Christ. All who are in relationship with Him are adopted sons and daughters of God, and joint heirs with Jesus. We are no longer looked upon as strangers who live distant from God, or as enemies who are fighting against God, but we are viewed as children who are loved by God. All the favor of God is given to those who are his by relationship. It matters not the sins we have committed in the past. Throwing a brother in a pit, then lying to dad about his death, were not the issue. All that mattered, was Jacob and his sons were related to Joseph. Sit back for a few moments and rejoice over the fact that you belong to God, because of what Jesus has done for you. You are a blood-bought, highly favored child of God, who has been given every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus.
Jim Gallagher 