1 Kings 3: 7- 9 “And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude.  Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

Have you ever been so sick that it is impossible to do things for yourself? You needed help to get up, walk, eat, bathe and to even come in and get out of bed was a great accomplishment.  Well I have, and it is a most humbling experience. If you learn the lessons well it teaches you: total dependence on another is necessary from time to time, the appreciation of others, knowing your limitations of what is possible and what is not.

In the passage for reflection (1 Kings 3:7), we meet someone has discovered his limitations and his need for total dependence on another.  Solomon had just been established as king over David’s kingdom.  Having carried out his father’s final wishes and made the necessary sacrifices to God he fell asleep with exhaustion.  But clearly this outward show of power to the people around him beguiled his inner sense of insecurity, helplessness, and lack of understanding and discernment of how to rule a kingdom. Into this situation God intervenes by the way of a night dream and gives Solomon the opportunity of a lifetime: Ask what I shall give you!!  Wouldn’t you like God to ask you that question?  What would your response be? Long life, riches, paying off my debt, wiping out my enemies and the list could go on.   It would appear that Solomon’s own weaknesses of leadership, lack of discernment and understanding were foremost in his mind even during sleep. Therefore his response was that of admitting that he was a little child that God has given the responsibilities of kingship and he is clueless to manage these responsibilities.  Couple that with him losing his father, the greatest king the kingdom had ever seen and a kingdom of countless people looking to see how this boy would manage, can you hear the desperation? Solomon at this point realizes that everything he has around him is worth nothing unless God gives him an understanding heart to govern the people and to discern between good and evil. Like a little child who realizes that he/she needs help, boldly and unafraid of his parent, asks for it.

Like all good parents, the Heavenly Father is pleased that Solomon recognizes where he is truly at, is able to confess it and have his priorities right even in his dreams!!

Is there is a lesson for us today?  I believe so.  The Lord wants us to realize our humanness, our limitations, and our need of Him for our every move.  We are unable to effectively function in the world around us, unless we come to God like children, recognizing our limited perspectives, our inability to lead anyone or even ourselves without Him filling us with divine understanding and the ability to discern between good and evil.  Without these God-given abilities, we are prone to wander, prone to self-dependence, pride and a Humpty-Dumpty ending.  Let us therefore seek God right this minute for we can’t even walk without Him holding our hands.

PRAYER

Father we come as children before you, knowing that we are foolish and we have our priorities mixed up.  We crave for long life, riches, death to the enemy instead of seeking understanding and discernment to distinguish between the good and evil in this world.   Forgive us Lord and create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit in us.  We present ourselves as living sacrifices to you the Living Stone so that we can be transformed on your very altar.  Teach us how to go out and come in.  In the All powerful name that is above all other name JESUS.  Amen.