And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly. 1 Chronicles 1:1
King Solomon was amazing! At the height of his kingdom, he was the most powerful, the most wealthy, and the most wise king in all the world at that time. His father David had also been a great and mighty king, but David’s reign was marked with wars and battles, and internal struggles within the kingdom; whereas Solomon exercised his great power, wealth, and wisdom in peace and prosperity. Our text tells us the reasons for his great success: God was with him, and God magnified him. Would He do the same for us?
Everyone knows about Solomon’s great wisdom, and we should also know that God granted him that wisdom so he could wisely rule Israel. But God does not reserve His gift of wisdom for ancient kings. Read James 1:5 – If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. Two things to note here. First, we need to acknowledge that we lack wisdom and are in need of it. Second, the word ‘men’ in this verse is not in the original Greek, so we can take the word ‘all’ to also include women and children. Just humbly ask, and God will give.
Our text also makes it plain that God was with Solomon in his ruling the kingdom. Again, God’s presence is not reserved for ancient kings. The Lord Jesus has promised to never leave nor forsake us, and the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in each Christian. So we can be confidence of God’s presence all the time, and of God’s help in our daily life, as long as we remain within His Word and His will. We will always be very aware of God’s presence as we trust and obey Him.
No, we are not carrying the load of ruling a kingdom like Solomon was. But the same God Who strengthened and magnified Solomon is just as interested in our lives and our success. – Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/agQhdktI7Nc