I was blessed this morning while doing my Bible reading.
The blessing was found in 2 Chronicles 9:12 and involved an insight that I had not discerned before, though I’ve read this chapter many times.
The first part of the chapter talks about the queen of Sheba’s desire to investigate the reports of Solomon’s wisdom and about the large entourage she brought with her from her north African country. The account then talks about how Solomon answered question after question, far surpassing the queen’s presumptions about Solomon’s God-given wisdom.
Then the verse below records what followed. It’s an amazing fact that points to a reality of what we can experience in Christ:
“King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for; he gave her more than she had brought to him” (2 Chron 9:12)
This verse portrays the abundance of insight that poured through Solomon into the lives of those around him. But I believe that the queen left with more than a bunch of good stories and insights for living.
I believe that she also left with an abundance of material blessings. The amount is not something upon which I can speculate, but the latter part of verse 12 suggests that it was mind-blowingly valuable.
Why do I say this? Consider what verse 9 says:
“Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.”
So this lady brings 9,000 pounds of gold and numerous jewels and history’s largest collection of food spices. She gives them to Solomon in appreciation for hearing him talk for a few days and then he gives her more wealth than she gave to him?
That sure sounds to me like a blessing.
We go to one wiser and stronger and better connected to God. We bring costly gifts and we listen. And then, when it’s all said and done, we go on our way having received more than we have given.
That’s what happened to the queen of Sheba and that’s what happens to us whenever we go to our King, hungering and thirsting for His wisdom and humbly offering very generous gifts as signs of our appreciation and anticipation.
God promises in the Bible that we can’t outgive God. Sooner or later, faithful givers ALWAYS end up with more blessing than they gave in offering.
Listen, the queen didn’t take the gifts to Solomon because he was behind on his bills and needed the money. Instead, she was showing honor and appreciation in advance.
She finished way ahead of the game in this visit and she knew it.
Whenever we come to worship in search of godly wisdom and we come prepared with generous gifts to show honor and appreciation in advance, we will have the same outcome that the queen did. It might happen the same day or it might happen days later, but it will happen.
That’s part of why we worship. That’s why we listen. That’s why we give.
Coming to the Lord prepared to learn and prepared to give will always lead to more blessing for us than for the King who pours out the blessing.
And that’s just one of the reasons His grace is so amazing.
As always, I love you
Martin
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