May 15

1 Kings 4:29-34

"God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom."

Reading about the wisdom of Solomon made me think about my younger brother Ben. Ben is easily one of the smartest people I know. In the last 12 years, he has been dedicated to his studies. He has spent a massive number of hours reading, writing, listening, debating, analyzing. This Saturday, we will be going to his graduation ceremony where he will be presented with his doctorate degree in english literature. I can't even begin to describe how proud I am of him and how amazed I am at all he has accomplished. :)

Seven years ago, Ben went through the most difficult time in his life. He and his wife were getting divorced. The pain of that separation was great. I remember being in agony myself because I hated seeing him in so much pain. Despite being gifted intellectually, he did not know how to heal his own broken heart or know how to find meaning in his life again. Thankfully, Ben turned to the only One who can heal and give purpose. He relied on God (not his own wisdom) to get him through that storm in his life. 

Having wisdom and being intelligent are great qualities to have, but what happens if we forget where all wisdom and truth comes from? Solomon's wisdom was great and it made him famous throughout the world. At first, he remembered that his wisdom and all his possessions were a gift from God. Psalm 72 details these gifts and acknowledges where they came from. But as we continue reading in the days ahead, we will find that Solomon forgets, he no longer is fully devoted to the Lord, and his God-given glory begins to fade. What good was his great insight when he was no longer following God's commands? Was he able to save himself with his breadth of understanding when things started going wrong?

Our possessions, our homes, our abilities, our talents, our minds... without God, we would have nothing good in our lives. It's easy to forget this when life is comfortable. I hope that we will always remember that He is the source of all good things. Because when life gets real and difficult and painful, He will also be the source of strength and healing.