Solomon Walked With God
Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 3:1-15
If you walk in obedience to me and keep my … commands … I will give you a long life.”
1 Kings 3:14
Solomon became a great king—through God’s amazing blessings to him.
We read that Solomon showed his love for God by walking according to the instructions of his father David, “except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.”
There was especially one way in which Solomon affirmed his walk with God, and that was in his request for wisdom. One night, after Solomon had offered a thousand sacrifices to the Lord, God came to him in a dream and said, “Ask for whatever you want.” Solomon answered well by asking for wisdom to govern God’s people.
God was pleased by this request, so he gave Solomon remarkable wisdom. God also promised Solomon great wealth and honor, saying that he would have “no equal among kings.” And it wasn’t long before God fulfilled those promises. (See 1 Kings 3-10, and especially 10:23-24.)
What gift do you especially ask from God? Many people today ask for riches and honor. Perhaps the request of Solomon should have a greater impact on us. God does not demand that we be perfect as we walk with him. But he wants us to try to walk faithfully, depending on his Spirit to guide us. Pray daily for God’s wisdom in your life. And whatever gift God gives you, use it in his service.
Lord, I know I am not perfect, but I do want to walk with you faithfully. Fill me with your Spirit, and help me to use my gifts in your service. Amen.
About the author — Adrian A. Helleman
Dr. Adrian Helleman served as a pastor in British Columbia before being called to serve as a missionary-teacher in the Philippines. He and his wife, Wendy, later taught philosophy at Moscow State University in Russia, and then philosophy and theology at the University of Jos in Nigeria. They have also lectured in Canada, the United States, South Africa, and Tanzania. They have three children and three grandchildren.
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