The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life. Proverbs 22: 4, NRSV.
LORD God Almighty, please accept our prayer as we come into Your presence this day. Please speak to our hearts through the study of Your Word. This is our prayer, in the blessed name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
This text brings to my mind the story of Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba. I have said this before, permit me to say it once again: Solomon was never greater, than when he knelt before God, and admitted that he was “only a little child.” Most of us know the story of king Solomon. When God appeared to him and asked him what He should give him, this was Solomon’s response:
“Solomon answered, ‘You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. ‘Now, O 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. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So 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’ ” (1 Kings 3: 6-9, emphasis provided)?
Is it not amazing how God knows where each of us are in our spiritual journey? He knows when to ask us certain questions, because only He knows the condition of our hearts at any given time. It is when we see ourselves as, nothing but little children, that we are most likely to make requests that are conducive to our spiritual well-being. I wonder what request I would make to God if He should ever confront me with such a question! Brothers and sisters, today may be a good day, to start thinking about the things that mean the most to us. If we had only one encounter with the Almighty, to decide what He should give us to prepare us to run the race of life, successfully, what would you and I ask for? What is of greatest importance to us? It is necessary for us to take inventory of our lives from time to time. It is a very effective way of keeping us humble when we see some of the things that are hidden in our hearts! It is also a very good way of helping us not to judge others when we discover how much evil we are capable of, “but for the grace of God!”
We come back to the story of Solomon. Let us listen to what God thought of Solomon’s answer, and what God responded, “The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So 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, 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 riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. . .” (10-13). God gave Solomon “both riches and honor” things that he had “not asked for.” However, notice very carefully the following: “And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life“ (14).
Our Scripture for today informs us that God rewards “humility and fear of the LORD [with] riches and honor and life.” God gave Solomon the first two, but cautioned him that, long life, would depend upon his obedience to God’s commands. I find that very impressive! Riches and honor can be acquired. Only God can give life! And we have been given life to live for the glory of God! We have already seen, on several occasions, that whatever God asks us to do for His glory, is also for our growth! Sacred Scripture reveals that, “As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. . . So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done” (11: 4, 6). His father David died at age 70 (2 Samuel 5: 4), barely making it to man’s allotted time here on earth {Psalm 90: 10).
I could not find in Scripture how old Solomon was at the time of his death. One source produced the following information: “Solomon was prematurely ‘old’ (1Ki_11:4), for he was only about 60 at death” (WikiAnswers.Com). God wants to reward us fully! May He help us to be as willing to receive His reward!