DEVOTION – DAY 319

1 Kings 3:7-9 “The Right Focus”

1 Kings 3:7-9 “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So, give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

Solomon had succeeded the throne of Israel after King David died. At that time, Solomon was estimated to be about 20 years old. He knew that he lacked experience in assuming his position as king. Further, just as God had promised Abraham, his descendants would be as numerous as the stars, by the time Solomon became king, he was ruling over a great many Israelites, too numerous to count. He was aware of the responsibilities upon his shoulders. He was also aware of the high expectations that the Israelites had of their king. He also had to step into the shoes of his father, David – the greatest king that Israel had. It was a daunting task for anyone. 

Thus, Solomon sought the help of God. He knew that it was his destiny to be king. He knew that he would not be able to succeed well without God’s help. Instead of asking for power, wealth or fame – Solomon asked for a discerning heart. He asked also for an ability to govern and know between right and wrong. He wanted godly wisdom which he knew was key to his ability to govern the people of Israel. In 1 Kings 3:10, we are told that God was pleased with this request and God granted him a wise and discerning heart. This would give Solomon the ability to listen patiently to all sides of every issue in order to make wise and good decisions, pleasing to God and man. 

Because Solomon’s focus was to serve and please God, God also granted Solomon wealth and honor (1 Kings 3:13). Today, if we ask people what they want from God if they were able to have three wishes granted, many would ask for wealth, health and position or fame. When they ask God to bless them with these things, their focus is on themselves and not on God. We know a man whose focus was on ways to get ahead in this world. He would ask God to bless him with wealth and position. One day, he lost his job. He lost his wealth and position. He decided to re-prioritize himself. He asked God instead for a closer relationship with Him. This brought about a change. He found a new job but it had a lower pay. Because his focus was now on walking more closely with God, he remained thankful and contented.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, all good things come from you. Please help us to be always grateful and thankful for your provisions, and that you remain at the center of our lives. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

  1. Why is wisdom more important that wealth, power, position and fame? Discuss.
  2. What do you typically ask God for in prayer? Are your requests God-centered or are they self-centered? 
  3. If your prayer requests are more self-centered, what changes will you make to your own walk with God so that you can become more God-centered?