I try to keep a balanced diet in my Bible reading—Old Testament, Gospels, and Epistles. Right now, my wife and I are studying 1 Kings with our good friends. They are the same friends who first invited us to church and helped lead us to Christ. We’ve been doing weekly Bible study with them for a few years now. It is one of the most important parts of our faith journey.
As we’ve been reading 1 Kings, it’s gotten me thinking about transitions—how the old fades, the new struggles to take hold, and everything feels uncertain. That’s 1 Kings in a nutshell.
David is dying, frail and unable to keep warm. Adonijah is already celebrating, assuming the throne is his. Solomon, young and unproven, suddenly finds himself securing his rule with difficult decisions and a kingdom to steady. Then God appears to him in a dream, offering anything he desires. He could have asked for wealth or vengeance—but he chose wisdom.
1 Kings 3:9 —“Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”
I’m over here with my coffee, thinking about my own life. No crown, just the weight of leading a family—loving my wife well, raising my kids, and trying to walk wisely in the everyday.
Solomon’s choice challenges me—seek wisdom first. He is stepping into leadership as Israel enters a new era—one marked by weighty decisions and the challenge of ruling well. Solomon’s request for wisdom doesn’t just shape his reign—it reveals the kind of king he hopes to be.
I don’t have a kingdom to rule. But I do have responsibilities—my marriage, my kids, my work, and the way I show up for others. And in all of it, I feel the pull to rely on my own instincts, to make decisions based on what seems best in the moment. But Solomon reminds me to ask first. To stop and seek wisdom before anything else. I need to remember that.
Wisdom, after all, isn’t just knowing the right thing—it’s living it.
Proverbs 4:7 — “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.”
Solomon’s reign begins with that pursuit, and it ripples outward. His wisdom isn’t just for himself; it brings justice, as seen in the case of the two women fighting over a baby. It establishes order, structure, and peace to the kingdom. And it makes me wonder: am I seeking wisdom in a way that blesses others, not just myself?
1 Kings 4:25 — “And Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan even to Beersheba, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon.”
In plain English it’s saying that during Solomon’s rule, the people of Judah and Israel lived securely and without fear. From the northernmost city (Dan) to the southernmost city (Beersheba), everyone had their own land, food, and stability. Each person could rest under their own vine and fig tree, a symbol of peace and prosperity. It paints a picture of a nation at rest—no war, no oppression, just a time of blessing and stability.
Final Thought:
That’s the kind of life I want to cultivate—not just for myself, but for those around me. A life rooted in wisdom, in peace, in trust that God gives what’s needed when I seek Him first.
How About You?
Where in your life are you craving the peace of that vine and fig tree?
What’s one step you could take to seek God’s wisdom first?
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