2 Chronicles 9:22-23 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. 23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.
Some people seem to rise to the top of their professions or their areas of expertise. They either work very hard or are extraordinarily gifted and blessed to rise to such heights. But there can only be one person at the pinnacle. That is because the top is a unique position.
The reality is that most of us hover around average. Only half are above average and the other half are below average. Now I know most people want to think of themselves as above average in life. But the reality is, only half can be above average. That means the rest of us are below average.
Solomon, the king of Israel, followed his father King David to the thrown. He accomplished so much, not because he was someone special, but because of his desire for wisdom rather than power or money. His heart was pointed in the right direction. And the blessings that came were because of the LORD’s hand in his life, not because of his person wisdom or wealth.
And when such an extraordinary person is in leadership, the blessings flow out from them. This is the storyline of Chronicles. When someone follows the LORD faithfully, then blessings follow. The Chronicler wants to paint the picture of faithfulness, drawing on the best of the best to show how to maintain that path.
Repeatedly the writer shows the results of faithfulness to the LORD as a pointer to how godly people ought to behave in regards to worship and faithfulness to the Covenant. The successes in battle and the blessings of wealth all come as a result of wholehearted devotion to the LORD. That is the explanation given by the author.
And when that happens, when people are faithful to the LORD, the LORD blesses. And that blessing draws in the Nations to see what makes them different. They become the witness to the greatness of our God. They become the shining light that draws in seekers.
And this is exactly what we are supposed to become, or should I say we are becoming. The early Christians loved each other so much that the non-believers were drawn to them, and to the LORD. They saw the love and it attracted them. They wanted what these people who had been with Jesus had.
The problem today is that too few have really spent time in Jesus’ presence. We have relied on political processes rather than on prayer and surrender. We yield our beliefs for the sake of power. We compromise in hopes of gaining the upper hand.
But this will never work. The LORD works against such compromises. He stands against those who won’t stand for Him. Solomon was great because of his great surrender.
I think it is time for a return to surrender. This battle can’t be won with political might. It must be won on our knees. And won not for us, but for His glory. He must get the credit, or our hearts will be exposed for what they are. It is time to surrender.
The Arnold Journey 