Solomon humbly acknowledged his lack of experience in leading God’s people. Then he said, “Give Your servant an obedient heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. … God was pleased with Solomon’s request, and He agreed to give Solomon a wise and understanding heart.
“Solomon affirms here that ‘in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. ‘ However, Proverbs asserts that “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding” Prov. 3:13
God was pleased because Solomon was doing essentially what Jesus asks everyone to do in Matthew 6:33: Seek first The Kingdom of God and His righteousness…THEN…”
Solomon was seeking not his own pleasure and power, but God’s pleasure. … God added “these things” to him, “these things” in Solomon’s case being riches and honor.
Are you receiving? We are dimmed in amazement at the ‘size’ of Earth in the Universe; A grain of sand.
Today we are fairly confident that the Milky Way is probably between 100,000 and 150,000 light years across. The observable Universe is, of course, much larger. According to current thinking it is about 93 billion light years in diameter.
http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160610-it-took-centuries-but-we-now-know-the-size-of-the-universe
Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. God Spoke “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on Earth will be blessed…”
Earth is smaller than a grain of sand in the Universe.
The question “How big is God?” may sound, at first, like a childish question. And it is a question that children tend to ask. But it is also a question that philosophers deal with while trying to grasp the existence and nature of God. The fact is, God transcends physical dimension. It is not possible to define Him by human standards of size and measurement. This is the God who created the universe, and the atom, and everything we see and feel and experience. Some may say that God is “inifinitely big.” But this is more of a concept than a physical depiction. In fact, the abstract concept we call “inifity” is something that really only the mind of God can contain. God is “outside” of time and space. We can not fully comprehend the nature of His being, though He has revealed to us all we need to know about Him and even invites us into personal relationship with Him. Still, it is fruitless to try to figure out the answer to the question “How big is God?” because God’s size cannot be determined or even expressed by the human mind.
God is not made of matter, and does not have a physical form like ours. That is why He came to us as Jesus Christ—God “incarnate” or in the body—so that He could relate to us on our level (Matthew 1:23; Hebrews 2:11, 17; 4:15). But God is “spirit” (John 4:24) and is essentially different from man (Isaiah 55:9). We are a soul, connected to a body, and we exist within the limits of space and time. We walk on a line from birth to death, and we are constricted by the dimensions of our bodies. However, God is eternal (Deuteronomy 33:27), and is not constricted by anything. In heaven, there is no temple, because “its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” (Revelation 21:22). He is able to see all the people on the earth at one time (Psalm 33:13–14) and is therefore not constricted by space. He is simply outside of those things.
Even though this is true, God communicates with us (Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 4:4), listens to our prayers (1 Peter 3:12), and loves us (John 3:16). In fact, though He is “infinite,” He subjected Himself to a linear time frame and a limited human body in order to deliver us from the death that was our due because of sin (Romans 5:6–9). Imagine what the incarnation must have been like for Jesus—probably something like you or I becoming a two-dimensional being or an insect. This proves that God’s love, just like everything else about Him, is too big to measure.
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 8:38–39.
Sisters and brothers, we lay before The Essence of The Creator, we are humbled by what we possess. Earth was wealthy untold! We were granted this “ribbon in the sky” of life. Yes! Man attempted to further his knowledge and wisdom by his own doing…
Tower of Babel, in biblical literature, structure built in the land of Shinar (Babylonia) some time after the Deluge. The story of its construction, given in Genesis 11:1–9, appears to be an attempt to explain the existence of diverse human languages.
And we pray:
Father, El Shadai I ask You to clothe me in the full armor You have provided. I place upon my head the helmet of salvation by which I take my thoughts captive to the anointing of my Lord Jesus. I submit my mind to the control and rule of The Holy Spirit that it would be full of life and peace.
Father, You are the Supreme Authority — a God of order. You have instituted other authority structures that will support healthy relationships and maintain harmony. It is my decision to surrender my will to You, that I might find protection and dwell in the secret place of the Most High.
Father, thank You for pastors and leaders of the church — those who are submitted to You and are examples to the congregation. I submit to the church elders (the ministers and spiritual guides of the church) — [giving them due respect and yielding to their counsel].
Lord, You know just how rebellious I have been. I ask Your forgiveness for manipulating circumstances and people — for trying to manipulate You to get my own way. May Your will be done in my life, even as it is in heaven.
Father, when I feel that my life is spiraling out of control, I bind my mind to the mind of Christ, and my emotions to the control of the Holy Spirit. I loose my mind from obsessive thought patterns that try to confuse me.
Obedience is far better than sacrifice. Father, You are much more interested in my listening to You than in my offerings of material things to You. Rebellion is as bad as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as bad as worshiping idols. Forgive me for practicing witchcraft and worshiping idols.
Father, You deserve honesty from the heart; yes, utter sincerity and truthfulness. Oh, give me this wisdom. Sprinkle me with the cleansing blood, and I shall be clean again. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. You have rescued me from the dominion of darkness and brought me into the Kingdom of the Son You love, in Whom I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Lord, I want to follow You. I am putting aside my own desires and conveniences. I yield my desires that are not in Your plan for me. Even in the midst of my fear, I surrender and entrust my future to You. I choose to take up my cross and follow You [cleave steadfastly to You, conforming wholly to Your example in living and, if need be, in dying also]. I desire to lose my [lower life] on Your account that I might find it [the higher life].
Father, You gave Jesus to be my Example. He has returned to You, Father, and has sent the Holy Spirit to be my Helper and Guide. In this world there are temptations, trials, and tribulations; but Jesus has overcome the world, and I am of good cheer.
Jesus is my Lord. I choose to become His servant. He calls me His friend.
Lord, help me to walk through the process of surrendering my all to You. I exchange rebellion and stubbornness for a willing and obedient heart. When I refuse to listen, anoint my ears to hear; when I am blinded by my own desires, open my eyes to see.
I belong to Jesus Christ, the Anointed One, Who breaks down and destroys every yoke of bondage. In His name and in obedience to Your will, Father, I submit to the control and direction of the Holy Spirit Whom You have sent to live in me. I am Your child. All to You I surrender. I am an overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of my testimony!
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.