Monday, May 20, 2013
Wisdom + Organization + A Searching Heart = World Peace
1 Kings 4:20-21 - The people of Judah and Israel were as
numerous as the sand on the seashore. They were very contented, with plenty to
eat and drink. King Solomon ruled all
the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the
Philistines, as far south as the border of Egypt. The conquered peoples of
those lands sent tribute money to Solomon and continued to serve him throughout
his lifetime.
Perhaps one of the fruits of
Solomon’s great wisdom was his ability to organize the kingdom. He had
at least 19 officials appointed to various duties within the kingdom….and a
palace staff that required over 500 bushels of flour and meal to keep them fed…and
that doesn’t include the meat and veggies they probably consumed. The 12 tribes occupied an area of land that
was huge…and kings from all around his kingdom paid him taxes…..and helped
supplement the food each tribe of Israel sent to feed his palace staff each
month…once a month. The vast expanse of his kingdom enjoyed peace… prosperity… exploding
in numbers so numerous they matched the sand on the sea.
I’m just thinking on paper…not
that any world leader would ever have the opportunity to read my post…but it
seems to me that we have the formula for world peace…right here in the pages of
the Bible. Take the wisdom you ask God for….organize your country with just 19 Godly
cabinet members…..appoint only one person per territory or state to organize
the food the ruler needs to run his household…take turns providing for the king
and his staff….and use the taxes from the trade of the surrounding countries to
support the military….and there you have it….world peace….content country men….and
prosperity for all.
Okay…maybe it isn’t that simple…but
Solomon sure made it look that way…..but again…he is the one who had a
searching heart…one that asked God for wisdom instead of riches and glory. And God granted it…and had the results
written down for us to see that a little wisdom goes a long way to fight the
pride…. selfishness… greediness… and pompous attitudes of most of the leaders I
see these days. I include myself in the critique….for I am no
better than they most days…looking out for myself before I consider the needs
of others. I am always checking the balance in my savings before I decide to
give to any cause. I should have written a ten dollar check and given it to a
friend last night…but that is a story for another day.
Thank you Lord….for once again you
have reminded me that I can start over this morning to correct my
attitude. Once again I am thankful that
you give me a new chance to get it right today.
Help me to think of Solomon and the wisdom you gave him to rule a nation
with you by his side…so you could bless the whole nation of people under his
rule with peace and prosperity. Help me
do my part to bring about this peace here in America….and ask you daily to
provide a way for the world to once again work together in peace as they did when
Solomon ruled Israel. Amen.
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