May Your Life Evoke Praises For God
When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the LORD, she came to test Solomon with hard questions. Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan -- with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones . . . Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her.
When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the LORD, she was very overwhelmed.
She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard.
. . . Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel." . . . And she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. I Kings 10:1-10
When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the LORD, she was very overwhelmed.
She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard.
. . . Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel." . . . And she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. I Kings 10:1-10
God appeared to Solomon and asked him to name anything he wanted. Solomon asked God to give him wisdom to accomplish his purpose as ruler of God's people. God was so pleased with Solomon's request that He said to Solomon: "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. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for -- both wealth and honor -- so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings." (1 Kings 3:12-13)
In fulfillment of His promise, God gave Solomon unparallelled wisdom, wealth, fame and honor. The whole world heard about Solomon. Israel was at total peace and the people were happy.
The Queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's wisdom and wealth and she decided to visit Solomon to ascertain the truth for herself. She was simply dumbfounded. The words that escaped from her lips were: "Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth, you have far exceeded the report I heard."
The Queen of Sheba was so awestruck that she burst out in praise of Jehovah saying, "Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel." She gave Solomon large quantities of gold and spices but she praised the Living God. She acknowledged the wisdom and wealth of Solomon but she did not praise Solomon -- she praised the LORD, Solomon's God. She praised the God who was the source of Solomon's wisdom and wealth. She came not just to see the wealth but also Solomon's "relationship with the LORD." She wanted to know how a mere mortal could have such a relationship with God.
I believe God is very pleased when He hears others praising Him for what He has done with our lives. When we use our blessings, gifts, and talents in a way that honors God, it will evoke praises from others to God, and not to us. Let's live our lives and use our gifts, blessings, and talents in a way that draws attention to God and not praises to ourselves. The blessings God bestows on us should always cause people to stand in awe of God not of us.
May God be so delighted in you that He will place you on a mountain-heap of blessings, wealth, favor, and prosperity. May the blessings of God overshadow and overtake you. May God cause your life to exceed your expectations as you take delight in Him and walk in faithfulness.
In fulfillment of His promise, God gave Solomon unparallelled wisdom, wealth, fame and honor. The whole world heard about Solomon. Israel was at total peace and the people were happy.
The Queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's wisdom and wealth and she decided to visit Solomon to ascertain the truth for herself. She was simply dumbfounded. The words that escaped from her lips were: "Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth, you have far exceeded the report I heard."
The Queen of Sheba was so awestruck that she burst out in praise of Jehovah saying, "Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel." She gave Solomon large quantities of gold and spices but she praised the Living God. She acknowledged the wisdom and wealth of Solomon but she did not praise Solomon -- she praised the LORD, Solomon's God. She praised the God who was the source of Solomon's wisdom and wealth. She came not just to see the wealth but also Solomon's "relationship with the LORD." She wanted to know how a mere mortal could have such a relationship with God.
I believe God is very pleased when He hears others praising Him for what He has done with our lives. When we use our blessings, gifts, and talents in a way that honors God, it will evoke praises from others to God, and not to us. Let's live our lives and use our gifts, blessings, and talents in a way that draws attention to God and not praises to ourselves. The blessings God bestows on us should always cause people to stand in awe of God not of us.
May God be so delighted in you that He will place you on a mountain-heap of blessings, wealth, favor, and prosperity. May the blessings of God overshadow and overtake you. May God cause your life to exceed your expectations as you take delight in Him and walk in faithfulness.
Prayer: Father, please help me to make my life about you and not about me. Help me to live out my blessings in such a way that people will praise you and not me. Amen.