“Your overflowing goodness You have kept for those who live in awe of You. And You share Your goodness with those who make You their sanctuary.”

Please give Your servant a listening heart for judging Your people and for knowing the difference between what is good and what is evil. Who is capable of judging Your chosen ones, a great people?' The Lord was delighted by Solomon's request.” (1 Kings 3:9-10)

Proverbs 1:1-5, Solomon writes,

“I, Solomon, David's son and Israel's king, pass on to you these proverbs -a treasury of wisdom-
So that you would recognize wisdom and value discipline
and you would understand insightful teaching
and receive wise guidance to live a disciplined life;
that you would seek justice
and have the ability to choose what is right and fair.
These proverbs teach the naïve how to become clever;
they instruct the young in how to grow in knowledge
and live with discretion.
The wise will pay attention to these words and will grow in learning,
and the discerning will receive divine guidance...”

Solomon valued wisdom as a treasury. He knew that it would be the most important part of being a good king. He relates wisdom with receiving divine guidance and out of this place of discernment, doing what is just, right and fair for all.

Solomon also recognizes the value in passing on wisdom to the next generations. He calls the reader, “my son” and notes that wisdom learned from one's parents is like “fine jewelry around your neck.” Wisdom is what he values as an inheritance to be able pass on to one's children.

Solomon, recognizing the value of wisdom and God's delight in giving it, works to create in the reader a desire and longing for wisdom and following God's guidance in doing what is right and just that he knows God will fill.

It is not a desire for worldly wisdom, to "become like God."   But rather, it is a desire for divine guidance that comes from being in relationship to God.  Wisdom is not the end in itself -to Solomon -  God is.    

Solomon having desired and then received so much in the way of wisdom, wants to share this with others. I can relate to this a little in a way with healing. I have received so much healing and deliverance from God over the years... I know without a doubt that God does heal and restore. And I long for others to know this same freedom.

When I talk with those who need healing, I long for them to know God desires to heal them and cares about where they are suffering in oppression or bondage. I want them to know that healing is for them too so they begin to be open to what He might have for them.

Solomon writes in Proverbs 2:1-11, “My son, if you accept what I am telling you and store my counsel and directives deep within you, If you listen for Lady Wisdom, attune your ears to her, and engage your mind to understand what she is telling you, If you cry out to her for insight and beg for understanding, If you sift through the clamor of everything around you to seek her like some precious prize, to search for her like buried treasure; Then you will grasp what it means to truly respect the Eternal, and you will have discovered the knowledge of the one True God.

The Eternal is ready to share His wisdom with us, for His words bring true knowledge and insight; He has stored up the essentials of sound wisdom for those who do right; He acts as a shield for those who value integrity. God protects the paths of those who pursue justice, watching over the lives of those who keep faith with Him. With this wisdom you will be able to choose the right road, seek justice, and decide what is good and fair because wisdom will penetrate deep within and knowledge will become a good friend to your soul. Sound judgment will stand guard over you, and understanding will watch over you as the Lord promised.”

The wisdom that Solomon desires to impart is not human wisdom that is following a certain set of rules. Rather it is the wisdom of fearing and honoring God, and then being centered upon Him, in His paths so one is guided divinely by Him. He places guiding posts out to help the reader walk on the highway of holiness – connected to God.

Isaiah 35:8-10, “A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it. No lion will be there, Nor will any vicious beast go up on it; These will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there, And the ransomed of the LORD will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

It is in trust, dependence, as we follow the ways of God that we grow in discernment and divine wisdom. As we follow this path of holiness, growing in our relationship with the Eternal as all our ways honor Him, that we gain greater and greater peace and joy. Joy and peace come from making wise choices as we share God's heart and walk in relationship with Him.

Acts 2:28, "... You direct me on a path that leads to a beautiful life. As I walk with You, the pleasures are never-ending, and I know true joy and contentment."

Solomon proclaims in Proverbs 3:1-12, “My son, always remember what I have taught you; keep my instructions dear to your heart. If you do, they will be your guide to a long, healthy, prosperous life. Stay focused; do not lose sight of mercy and truth; engrave them on a pendant, and hang it around your neck; meditate on them so they are written upon your heart. In this way, you will win the favor of God and others, and they will think well of you.

Place your trust in the Eternal; rely on Him completely; never depend upon your own ideas and inventions. Give Him the credit for everything you accomplish, and He will smooth out and straighten the road that lies ahead. And don't think you can decide on your own what is right and what is wrong. Respect the Eternal; turn and run from evil.

If you depend on Him, your body and mind will be free from the strain of a sinful life, will experience healing and health, and will be strengthened at their core. Pay tribute to the Eternal in all your affairs. Honor Him with the best of what you make. That way you will prosper to the fullest and have plenty of food to eat and wine to drink. My son, do not ignore the Eternal's instruction or lose heart when He steps in to correct you; Because the Eternal proves His live by caring enough to discipline you, just as a father does a child, his pride and joy.”

The place to stay focused is on God. Sometimes it is so easy to focus on something we want – our desires and where we want to go or what we want to accomplish. In this, we can lose sight of our focus on God and miss the delight of the moment.

Kids are great for seeing the delight right in front of them in the moment. Something as simple as a bath with a container of bath toys can be a delight. My littlest lights up with joy sometimes and can get so carried away in the moment as he plays with his toys in the bubbles of his bath.

Jesus says, "Except you be converted and become as little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven."

I had this written in my journal from who knows where, "Become like a child and be always willing to yield to your Father's plan.  Run to God as a child who seeks his Father's protection and care.  Pride, as sense of self-importance, and self reliance must give way to child likeness and simplicity."

Often what can also cause us to get off track is our own thinking. My littlest struggles with this as well. His therapist told him that whenever we tell him “no” on something he is supposed to stop and remember that we love him and he loves us and we want what is best for him.

The moment he hears “no” he quickly has gone in a different direction in his thinking and it makes things so rough on him and all around him. But as I remind him what his therapist said - to stop and remember we love him and he loves us- he changes and his choices change. He remembers that we are in this with him and are for him. Then he again begins to make wiser choices.

Big people go there in there thinking sometimes as well... We get disappointed over not getting what we want and feel disheartened. We can focus on our loss rather than on the fact that we are much loved by God and He is for us. Rather than allowing Him to comfort us, we feel separated from God. We might even reach out for something else to comfort us and make unwise choices.

Eve struggled with this kind of thinking in the garden: Does God really want what is best for you? Did He really say that? Does He really care for you more than anything? Maybe you should reach out for what you desire and make your own choices.

A simple reminder can bring us back on track. God loves us more than we can imagine. God is there with us in it and wants what is best for us. All the wisdom we need for a full life can be found in him.

I have a little quote I hold on to, I am not sure anymore where it came from: “Rather than speech that issues from sub-conscious needs to impress, to put others in their place, to compete, to control and manipulate, to repay hurt with hurt, we now notice our own inner dynamics and choose to speak from a different place. A place of love, and trust, and true wisdom that God is cultivating within us.”

Our connection to God has a huge impact on our relationship to others. It is as we are filled with the divine, and are satisfied in Him, that we really have something to give to those around us. We overflow with His heart, His love and His purposes.

Lord, I long for this to be more true about me. Forgive me where I forget or go in a different direction. Forgive me for self reliance.  Remind us of how much You care for us. Direct our hearts and eyes on You. Fill us with Your overflowing goodness and wisdom.