Solomon’s prayer for
Humility and Calling
March 3, 2010
1 Kings 3:6-14
1 King 3:12 I will do
what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there
will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.
If you were given a wish, what would it be for?
Money? Power? Fame? Unfortunately, most people would choose one of those
three, and it is evidenced by how they direct their lives.
Solomon knew the task God had for him was to be king over the people of Israel.
What he wished for shows that he already had a greater portion of wisdom
than most. He saw how difficult being a right and just ruler was going to be,
and he knew he was not up to the task.
Solomon realized that his own wisdom was not sufficient for him to rule
as God wanted, so he relied on God to provide the wisdom he needed.
While we may not be tasked with ruling a kingdom, God still has work for each of
us in this world. One may be called
to something big and flashy, another to something seemingly unimportant that
will bear its fruit much later. God
has a calling for each of us. If
you know something about your calling, you probably feel like you are not up to
the task.
The truth is you cannot fulfill your calling under your own power; you are
sinful and weak and you can not meet God’s expectations without His help.
This knowledge causes some people to ignore God’s call in their lives,
using the excuse of “I’m not good enough” to justify their inaction.
Other people see their calling, know that they are inadequate, and put
their faith in God to do powerful things through them, despite their weaknesses.
Solomon knew he needed more than what he had to be a good king.
Let us imitate Solomon by not looking to ourselves to achieve God’s will
in our lives, but ask God to show His strength through our weakness.
Our Heavenly Father,
Thank you for loving us despite our faults, weaknesses and shortcomings.
Thank you that through Christ’s work on the cross, we can be part of your
redemption plan in this world. Show
us how you want us to serve you in this world, and give us the faith needed to
overcome the obstacles we so willingly create for ourselves.
May our lives show your power working through us.
Amen