"Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the
fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him
with hard questions." I Kings 10:1 (NKJ)
The Queen of Sheba was wealthy and beautiful.
She had everything a queen could want - gold, silver, ivory, precious
jewels and servants taking care of all her needs.
Well, almost everything.
She'd heard about the famous King Solomon and
his miraculous God. Even though her people had many gods to worship,
none intrigued her like the Lord God of Israel. Her heart was so moved
by His Name she traveled 1,400 miles across the desert sands of Arabia
to visit King Solomon, a man who knew this God personally.
Camels can travel around 20 miles a day, so
the trip would take her six months each way. She brought a great caravan
of servants, loads of spices, gold and unusual woods to give as gifts
to Solomon. Her heart and soul longed for riches she did not have, and
she sensed they would be discovered through him.
When she finally arrived, she stood before
the grandest palace she had laid eyes on. But her purpose wasn't to see
the most beautiful archeological place ever built, it was to find a
secret treasure.
Scripture tells us she talked to Solomon for
hours, asking him deep questions about God. Based on her response, she
found what she had longed for and declared, "Blessed be the LORD your
God" (1 Kings 10:9a NKJ).
The Queen of Sheba took great pains to find
wisdom, yet the wisdom available to her at that time was the lesser
wisdom of a man. Even so, Jesus mentions the Queen in Matthew 12:42 and honors her desire for His wisdom.
The wisdom we have access to through Jesus
far outshines Solomon's. If the Queen of Sheba would travel six months
to find truth, how much more should we search for wisdom by opening our
Bibles and hearts to Him in prayer?
When people travel to our home this week, it
will not be the seasonal décor or cleanliness that will ultimately
impress them. It won't be a perfectly sculpted yard or a new car in the
garage. It will be spiritual insight and the presence of grace they will
be drawn to - through the Holy Spirit living in us. When we share the
love of our God with them they will have visited a wealthy home.
As rich as Queen Sheba or King Solomon's palaces.
Our home is where our heart is, and our heart
is Christ's home - a dwelling place for the Lord. Let's be sure to
spend time with Him this week so we can be filled with love and prepared
with wisdom to offer our guests. May those who enter our homes this
Christmas, and in the New Year to come, find treasures that people have
traveled the whole earth in search of!
Dear Lord, I want every person who walks
into my home to find the riches that only You can deliver. Help me to be
a conduit for Your wisdom and love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.(Sharon Glasgow)
No comments:
Post a Comment