A Visitor from the South
Description
Pray:
Lord, You are a God of wonder. May my life draw others to see and worship You.
Read:
1 Kings 10:1-29
Reflect:
Where do you place the credit for the good in your life?
The last few verses of our passage (23-25) summarize the amazing wealth and splendor of Solomon's court.
In general, what we read about there, we see in close-up when the Queen of Sheba comes to call from her distant kingdom in the far south (1-10). What an astonishing experience it must have been, and what a feast for the senses: the smell of the spices; the taste of the food; the weight of the gold and precious stones; the stunning visual splendor of the court.
It's almost too much for the Queen. Some versions tell us she was "overwhelmed" (5); others say that "there was no more breath in her" (ESV). It was all, quite literally, breathtaking.
Her reaction is just right, and she gives credit where credit is due. She praises the God of Israel (9).
Things are about to take a turn for the worse for Solomon (ch. 11). For now, let's leave him in his splendor, with the credit being given to his God and ours.
Apply:
Consider what your life demonstrates. Would others look on and give recognition to God?
Pray:
King of glory, may my life be like the moon which has no light of its own, but reflects the light and glory of the sun.