“Our story is not only about exile and oppression and suffering. It is the story of thriving, of triumph, and of great faith. It is the story of a people that laughs in the face of deepest despair, that stubbornly clings to life and to joy even in the face of horror and death. We take our pain and turn it into poetry. We take our misfortune and transform it into opportunity.”
1 KINGS 3-5
7“Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”10The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12I 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. 13Moreover, 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. 14And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” 15Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.(3:7-15)
JOURNAL
Jesus stood before Pilate, silent and blameless—yet condemned. Pilate, though uneasy, looked for a way out. He knew Jesus was innocent (Luke 23:4), but the pressure of the crowd was louder than the whisper of truth. Public opinion—fickle, loud, and charged with fear—overpowered the still, small voice of justice. And so, the sentence was handed down. Jesus would die.
What a contrast this is to Solomon’s story. In a dream, God invites Solomon to ask for anything (1 Kings 3:5). He could have requested power, riches, or victory over enemies. But Solomon, aware of the weight of leadership, asks for wisdom. He knew that guiding a people was beyond his own ability. And because he asked for wisdom—not wealth or fame—God gave him both. Wisdom, it turns out, was the key to everything else.
This comparison stirs something in me. I wonder—how often do I, like Pilate, let fear and the opinions of others dictate my choices? How often do I, instead of asking for God’s wisdom, anxiously try to control the outcome on my own?
If I'm honest... more than I care to admit. That’s why I need time in God’s Word and in prayer. Without His voice grounding me, the world's noise grows too loud. On my own, I am swayed. But with Him? Scripture reminds me, “God gave us not a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). With His Spirit, I can face anything.
Each day is a fresh canvas. I hold the brush—but what story will I paint today? One driven by fear and anxiety, or one led by the quiet, steady hand of God? Will I surrender to the crowd, or will I surrender to Christ?
May I seek Him in every question, every challenge, and every blessing. Because true wisdom—the kind that sees beyond today—can only come from Him.
Jesus stood before Pilate, silent and blameless—yet condemned. Pilate, though uneasy, looked for a way out. He knew Jesus was innocent (Luke 23:4), but the pressure of the crowd was louder than the whisper of truth. Public opinion—fickle, loud, and charged with fear—overpowered the still, small voice of justice. And so, the sentence was handed down. Jesus would die.
What a contrast this is to Solomon’s story. In a dream, God invites Solomon to ask for anything (1 Kings 3:5). He could have requested power, riches, or victory over enemies. But Solomon, aware of the weight of leadership, asks for wisdom. He knew that guiding a people was beyond his own ability. And because he asked for wisdom—not wealth or fame—God gave him both. Wisdom, it turns out, was the key to everything else.
This comparison stirs something in me. I wonder—how often do I, like Pilate, let fear and the opinions of others dictate my choices? How often do I, instead of asking for God’s wisdom, anxiously try to control the outcome on my own?
If I'm honest... more than I care to admit. That’s why I need time in God’s Word and in prayer. Without His voice grounding me, the world's noise grows too loud. On my own, I am swayed. But with Him? Scripture reminds me, “God gave us not a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). With His Spirit, I can face anything.
Each day is a fresh canvas. I hold the brush—but what story will I paint today? One driven by fear and anxiety, or one led by the quiet, steady hand of God? Will I surrender to the crowd, or will I surrender to Christ?
May I seek Him in every question, every challenge, and every blessing. Because true wisdom—the kind that sees beyond today—can only come from Him.
ECCLESIATES 2:26
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