1 KINGS 3:4-4:34
SOLOMON'S "DREAM BY NIGHT": Give me an "understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and bad...." Solomon obviously felt he was "in over his head" - and wanted wisdom and understanding "to go out and come in". (That is, to lead the nation and tend to its affairs, like a shepherd does his flock.) "An understanding heart" is a "hearing heart".
WHAT SOLOMON RECEIVED: (3:12) "A wise and understanding heart." (3:13) "riches and honor". (3:14) A long life (IF he "walked like his father, David, walked") There is an example given of the wisdom of Solomon.
RESPONSE: All the leaders of the earth came to hear Solomon's wisdom. I guess because they didn't have cable. He wrote 1005 songs and 3000 proverbs and seemed to know something about everything! We would probably call him a "Renaissance man". He is obviously a type of Jesus - at least for now, he is. Jesus is the most savvy Person I know. He knows people, He knows personalities, He knows what makes us tick. There is nothing backward or rustic about Jesus' knowledge. He could probably come as a nuclear physicist if He lived on earth today. He doesn't miss a thing about what is going on!
ACTS 6:1-15
EQUIPPING THE CHURCH BY THE HOLY SPIRIT: Acts 1-7
Acts 1 - Restoring Order.
Acts 2 - Giving of the Holy Spirit, being "baptized" into Community.
Acts 3 - The Name of Jesus
Acts 4 - Boldness of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 5 - "The Life".
Acts 6 - Wisdom to Lead. It takes wisdom to lead, especially when you are leading "volunteers", who don't HAVE TO submit to your authority to keep their jobs, etc. When there is dissention, we need "wisdom from above" (Jam 3:17). Wisdom told the early church to appoint DEACONS to "serve tables" (take care of the practical aspects of running the Church - but who also preached like Stephen.). "The twelve" were ELDERS, who gave themselves continually "to prayer and to the ministry of the Word." The primary character traits of the leaders were that they be "full of the Holy Ghost and WISDOM." (for both deacons and elders). In fact, STEPHEN was so full of "wisdom and the spirit" that no one could oppose him.
RESPONSE: The Holy Spirit is called the "spirit of Wisdom" (Exod, Deut, Isa 11:2; Eph 1:17) and James tells us we can ASK for wisdom. Wisdom is part of our equipment for extending the Kingdom of God. We can be knowledgeable of the Word and still do stupid things. We can even be filled with the Holy Spirit and do stupid things. BUT that isn't the will of God for us! When you don't know what to do or what to say, ASK GOD! The "spirit of Wisdom" will help you!
PSALM 126:1-6
SEVENTH STEP: Psalm 126: The Joy of the Lord gets us through the night seasons. "Joy" and "rejoicing" are used four times here - because God turns our tears to laughter, and our sorrow to great joy. We can KNOW that for sure.
PROVERBS 16:26-27
If you want to eat, you'd better work! And an "ungodly man" works all right, but he works at evil, laying traps for others or scorching them with his tongue.
RESPONSE: The tears and unhappiness spoken of in Psa 126 are not selfish or directed at self, but are for others. They are tears of intercession. They are sustained by JOY! Joy is our "secret ingredient" to Life. It keeps us strong. It keeps us stable and even-tempered. It is not circumstances that affect us, after all, but what we TELL ourselves about those circumstances! If you are telling yourself things that are mad, sad or bad - STOP IT!
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