written by Bruce Talbert

Today's reading is about an event that has stood out in my mind since hearing it as a very young boy, the time when God appears to Solomon in a dream and offers him anything he desires. In humility and unselfishness, he asks for a "discerning heart" to govern "God's great people". As a kid who read too many comic books when I first heard the story, I remember wondering which powers I would have asked for—certainly super strength, super-speed, and ability to fly. I might have added in ability to read minds and regenerative powers. Even in my immaturity, I was impressed with Solomon's wisdom and unselfishness to ask for ability to be a "just king" rather than special powers, popularity, or riches. The request so pleased God that he gave Solomon what I think of as "bonus blessings.”

I think this passage gives insights into the purposes of our lives on earth, and therefore what is best to ask God for. Our purposes include serving God, serving others, and developing our character. I believe that God often gives "bonus blessings" when we are unselfish in our petitions. When we focus on being a better parent / manager / employee / minister / teacher / public servant / Christian / whatever—not for our benefit, but to better serve others—other rewards often follow. With Jesus as our model, we know it is better to seek to serve than to seek power, riches or even security. It is humorous to think back on what I would have asked for as a young child. But maybe requests for a certain job, a good grade, a financial windfall, or other material things are along the same lines in God's view. Better to ask for things that will help us to serve the greater good. Then, as a good and faithful servant we might get "bonus blessings". In writing this reflection I looked at my list of favorite New Testament passages and saw a few that are very relevant to today's passage in Kings: " May your spirit be open and perspective in discovering the will of God for you. May your prayer be that of wisdom, guidance and a deeper understanding of God’s way for you." (Lk 1:26-38) And, "Let your unselfishness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:5-7) I'll take "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding" over material things, even super powers.

Your brother in Christ,
Jerry

I was driving through the streets of downtown making my way home from a busy day at work, and while waiting at a red light at an intersection, my mind came back to this passage. “Wisdom calls aloud in the street; she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out….” What an odd way to portray something of value. As I sat there I thought about the last time—about a year ago—I crossed paths with someone who was standing on a street corner preaching about the redemption of God. While not my style, I have to give the guy credit for believing that God’s word “does not return void” (Isaiah 55:11). Could this be an example of wisdom crying aloud in the streets? If so, usually when I come across people yelling in the streets I make a deliberate attempt to avoid them as they are breaking into my comfort zone.

The Noise of LifeFollowing this analogy through the rest of the passage, there must be some truth to wisdom causing us discomfort at times. As strange as it seems, mankind has a tendency to ignore God’s message, as is evident by our lives before becoming Christ-followers, as well as by others around us who have not found Him. That which seeks to save us is the very thing we are prone to ignore. What stands out is that an all-knowing God, One who knows what the end state will be, consistently tries to break through the barriers between us. He doesn’t simply quit after days, weeks, or months of futile effort. He loves us so much that He gives us repeated opportunities to listen and heed his words. But according to the text, there are significant consequences if we fail to heed God’s wisdom. These can be strong words for those who are not currently Christ-followers, but what is the meaning for those of us who are at least making an effort to seek and do what this wisdom asks of us? I think there is a warning in verse 32: “…the complacency of fools will destroy them.” Now this is something that strikes home from time to time! Our complacency, or better said, our lack of attention paid to our relationship with God, can create a barrier. I doubt any of us totally ignore this relationship. After all, we attend church and community groups and perhaps we even give of our time or money to these and other worthwhile causes. We certainly are busy people, but complacency sets in, usually after a period of time when we get caught up in the routine and lose focus on why we are doing a particular activity. Or, it can set in when we begin to focus on ourselves more than the output of what we are seeking to accomplish. Do we become irritated with people and let differences in opinion or personality drive wedges into our ministries? Do we complain about the amount of work we are doing compared to others? It doesn’t take long for complacency to turn into something that limits the effectiveness of what God wants to do in us. What is amazing, though, is that the path towards renewal is so simple: “…whoever listens to me…” Wherever we find ourselves today, I pray we will be able to find God’s wisdom in the noise of life.

The Noise of LifeYour fellow traveler,
Bruce