Friday December 15th , 2023
« So give your servant an understanding mind to govern your people, so I can discern between good and evil. Otherwise, how will I be able to govern this great people of yours? »
15 Solomon woke up and realized that God had spoken to him in the dream. Then he went to Jerusalem and stood in front of the Lord’s Covenant Box and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord. After that he gave a feast for all his officials.
16 One day two prostitutes came and presented themselves before King Solomon.
17 One of them said, “Your Majesty, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a baby boy at home while she was there.
18 Two days after my child was born, she also gave birth to a baby boy. Only the two of us were there in the house—no one else was present.
19 Then one night she accidentally rolled over on her baby and smothered it.
20 She got up during the night, took my son from my side while I was asleep, and carried him to her bed; then she put the dead child in my bed.
21 The next morning, when I woke up and was going to nurse my baby, I saw that it was dead. I looked at it more closely and saw that it was not my child.”
22 But the other woman said, “No! The living child is mine, and the dead one is yours!” The first woman answered back, “No! The dead child is yours, and the living one is mine!”And so they argued before the king.
23 Then King Solomon said, “Each of you claims that the living child is hers and that the dead child belongs to the other one.”
24 He sent for a sword, and when it was brought,
25 he said, “Cut the living child in two and give each woman half of it.”
26 The real mother, her heart full of love for her son, said to the king, “Please, Your Majesty, don’t kill the child! Give it to her!” But the other woman said, “Don’t give it to either of us; go on and cut it in two.”
27 Then Solomon said, “Don’t kill the child! Give it to the first woman—she is its real mother.”
28 When the people of Israel heard of Solomon’s decision, they were all filled with deep respect for him, because they knew then that God had given him the wisdom to settle disputes fairly.
A person who possesses competency in knowledge and skill has great potential to succeed in life.
When such competency is derived from God, it is referred to as divine understanding.
Succeeding in life is all about recognizing and utilizing the opportunities God brings our way, coupled with making the right choices in life.
A person endowed with divine understanding is therefore able to excel in life because he or she has the ability to discern what is true, ethically right and sound, based on God’s word.
God alone possesses wisdom and understanding in the absolute sense, and He gives these to those who seek them from Him with a humble heart.
In relation to people, divine wisdom refers to the abilities God gives in every area of life, including craftsmanship, knowledge and insight for right decisions.
Divine wisdom cannot be received by those whose confidence is based on human cleverness and insight without God’s revelation.
This kind of human wisdom may produce temporary success in life, but if often come to naught in the long run (1 Corinthians 3:19-20).
Understanding is built on the foundation of knowledge and the ability to use it correctly.
There are different ways God imparts understanding to a person.
- For example, understanding can be received in the place of observing how others live or do things (Proverbs 24:30-32).
- It can also be acquired through studying God’s word and His wondrous works in the universe (Psalm 119:130, Job 37:14-20).
- Understanding can also come from parental guidance or as a result of practical experience in life (Proverbs 4:1-5).
- Above all, it can be received through the impartation of God’s Spirit in the place of prayer, as it happened to Solomon (1 Kings 3, Ephesians 1:15-18).
Worldly wisdom and understanding build pride and false hope in people, who go on to arrogate success in life to themselves and not to the Almighty God.
This folly has led to the downfall of many people and kingdoms all over the world, as seen in the example of Babylon in Isaiah 47:10-11.
No wonder Proverbs 26:12 GWT says:
« Have you met a person who thinks they are wise? There is more hope for a fool than for them »
Furthermore, in Isaiah 29:14, the Bible says worldly wisdom shall perish.
The people of this world can never receive the wisdom of God.
Divine understanding is only accessible to those who are willing to give up their reliance on human insight in exchange for God’s wisdom (1 Corinthians 4:14-15).
May the Lord fill you with divine understanding today in Jesus’ Name.
Prayer focus – Father, please fill my heart with divine understanding today in Jesus’ Name.
Author – Bishop Enoch. A. Adeboye.
Edited by Naomie
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