USING THE GIFT GOD HAS GIVEN

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. One of them said, "My lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me. The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.

"During the night this woman's son died because she lay on him. So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. The next morning, I got up to nurse my son — and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn't the son I had borne."

The other woman said, "No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours."

But the first one insisted, "No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine." And so they argued before the king.

The king said, "This one says, 'My son is alive and your son is dead,' while that one says, 'No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.' "

Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword for the king. He then gave an order: "Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other."

The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!"

But the other said, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!"

Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother."

When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.

1 Kings 3:16-28

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As Chapter 3 of 1st Kings opened, we read where the Lord offered Solomon the opportunity to choose anything that he wanted and in response to that request, Solomon asked for the Lord to give him a discerning heart.

Well, the Lord answered Solomon’s prayer and granted him the only true kind of discernment…the kind that comes from Him and Him alone. Thus, Solomon’s wisdom didn’t come from his own power but rather from God who granted him discernment as a gift…a gift that we see Solomon soon have to put into use as the chapter ends.

For scripture tells us that “two prostitutes came…and stood before him” with a dilemma. Each took turns stating their side of the case.

The first prostitute said, “My lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me. The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us. During the night, this woman's son died because she lay on him. So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. The next morning, I got up to nurse my son — and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn't the son I had borne."

And this accusation led the second prostitute to reply, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours” to which the first retorted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine."

And “so they argued before the king”, each standing by their side of the story.

Obviously, one of the women was lying. Either the child did belong to the first prostitute and was stolen by the second prostitute after she accidentally killed her own child. Or the first prostitute’s child died and she claimed the second woman’s as her own.

So how would Solomon determine who was telling the truth?

He used his gift from God.

For only a man granted wisdom and discernment could respond as Solomon did in this case. For after restating the basic tenets of the argument, Solomon asked for a sword before giving the order to “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other."

Huh? Are you serious Solomon? I mean…no one in their right mind, yet alone someone having the special gift of divine wisdom, could ever predict this thinking that God would actually cut a baby in half and provide a dead half to each person in the dispute. And yet, this is what Solomon did.

How effective was it?

Back to the scriptures. For after Solomon gives his order to kill the child, the “woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son” and she said to him, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!" while the other woman said, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!"

And with that, the case was solved.

For the true mother…the first prostitute…was willing to see her son live even if she had to give him up to the other woman. Such was the depth of her love for him…a love that could only come from his real mother. But the second prostitute…the one who had stolen the child because she had accidentally killed her own...had no true love for him because he wasn’t truly hers. Thus, it was easy for her to want to see him killed so neither woman could have him.

And with this truth now revealed, Solomon “gave his ruling” and said, “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother." Justice was served and we read where “all Israel heard the verdict” and “held the king in awe because they saw that he had wisdom from God”.

All because Solomon used the gift that God had granted him.

Friends, we all have gifts that have been imparted on us by God.

Some, like Solomon, realize those gifts and maximize the use of them to an end that glorifies God and makes a difference in the lives of others…like the first prostitute and her child.

But some either never seek to fully realize their gifts or realize their gifts and choose not to use them.

Each way is equally wrong and has to be appalling to God…the giver of every good and perfect gift from above. (James 1:17)

So where do you stand?

Are you realizing the gifts God has given and using them to His glory and the good if others?

Or are you squandering all the good He wishes for you to do in His name, disobeying His will to make a difference in His kingdom here on earth?

Trust that the Lord knows which side you’re on. And wisdom should tell us that we shouldn’t err on the wrong side. Not now…not ever. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/

Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com