The Gift of Wisdom


1 Kings 4:29-34
29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore,
30 so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.
31 For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations.
32 He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005.
33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish.
34 And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

In the few verse of today’s reading, we are given a look at the scope of Solomon’s wisdom. It would appear that it goes beyond what we would label as “wisdom” and laps over into knowledge and intelligence as well. It seems that Solomon was an apt and easy learner and exercised his keen mind in all sort of intellectual pursuits. His fame spread and kings from all over the civilized world sent emissaries to Solomon’s court and indeed some of them even came themselves (See 1 Kings 10).

As God moves in our lives that action is a living testimony to His greatness for everyone who sees it. When we use what we have been given by Him, great things happen! And those great things bring glory to His name. This is, of course, always the goal – glorifying the name of God. Solomon’s gift bordered on the spectacular in many ways; and perhaps you don’t think your gifts are quite so amazing. But that doesn’t matter. Whenever you use what you have been given to the benefit of another and don’t take the credit for yourself, you are living as a witness of God’s love into a dark world. Sometimes we make it so difficult, expecting thing of ourselves that are far greater than needed in order to share the Lord. All you have to do is live out what you have been given. God is glorified, people are edified, and the kingdom grows! Pretty easy.

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