Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“The whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind.”
NL Daily Devotion for Friday, November 4, 2022
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Solomon’s wisdom was not his own. It’s clear from the beginning that everything good he had to say, every good decision he made, every dispute he arbitrated well, came directly from God. This isn’t to say that Solomon, on his own, was dumb as rocks. I’m getting the guy was pretty intelligent, savvy, shrewd even. As one of who-knows-how-many kids King David sired, he was chosen as the King of Israel for a reason, and he definitely performed. But there’s one ingredient of true wisdom that Solomon seemed to personify, at least as the biblical writer suggests: humility.--the knowledge that as awesome as he was, the credit for his successes went to God.
In the U.S. we live in a relentlessly achievement-driven society, in which we are indoctrinated from a young age to excel in order to beat out our competition and come out on top of the heap. We are told to toot our own horns, get people’s attention, make it clear to everyone that we are the best. Humility is seldom rewarded. Now and then someone really famous gets lots of credit for their humility about their fame and success, but that’s after the fact (and it’s not the norm). On the whole, those who are humble, who are content to work diligently on the sidelines, in the spirit of cooperation, and on behalf of others rather than themselves, are actually looked down on. And it's most likely because those clawing their way to the top see the humble and have this little nagging voice in their head that says “Humility is what you should actually be striving for. You’re doing this all wrong.” and they just can’t deal with that reality. Or not. Just my musing.
Anyway, Solomon’s wisdom was so famous that “the whole earth” wanted a piece of it. But Solomon knew, as the biblical writer tells us, that this wisdom came from God and not Solomon. Which, I am certain, made Solomon’s wisdom all that much more appealing.
When have I practiced humility in my life? Do I find it more satisfying than getting credit for things?
