Equip Me to Carry Out My Duties
1 Kings 3:5-12

July 20, 2008
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

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Have you ever felt inadequate? The job laid ahead of you is just more than you can possibly do. New parents feel like that when they arrive home with their new baby and are all alone for the first time. Kids feel like that when they enter a new grade at school, or enter high school or college, wondering if they will be able to keep up. A person working a new job can feel inadequate especially on the first days at work. Husbands and wives can feel inadequate as they seek to reflect God's love to each other. We all feel that way when we think about God's law and where we measure up. King Solomon felt inadequate when he found himself as head over all Israel. Solomon found an answer to his feelings of inadequacy and we can learn from his experience as we also pray the the Lord would equip us to carry out our duties.

Solomon had asked all of Israel to come to Gibeon and worship the Lord with him. Solomon offered up one thousand animal sacrifices that day to the Lord. What a sight that must have been to see all Israel gathered and the smoke rising to heaven from all those sacrifices and to hear the voices of the people in worship. It was on that night that the Lord came to Solomon in a dream and offered Solomon the opportunity to make a request.

In his response to the Lord, Solomon shows how inadequate he feels to be king over Israel. He points out the big sandals that he has to fill. He says, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day." God had blessed David and fulfilled his promise to have his son rule on his throne. David was faithful to God and is even called righteous. David was not perfect, we know that. But David had the Spirit-born wisdom not to trust in his own righteousness, but to look to God for forgiveness. In Psalm 103 David wrote, "Praise the Lord, O my soul, who forgives all your sins." So Solomon felt inadequate for the job as king when he considered the high standard his father had set, for a king of Israel must remain faithful to the Lord.

Solomon also felt inadequate when he considered the task he had before him. He said, "Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number." Solomon sees his age as an impediment to his success as king. He sees how large the nation of Israel has become as he looks out over the worshippers at Gibeon and realizes just how many people he has to rule.

So often we too feel inadequate for the responsibilities God places on us. I look out over this congregation and feel inadequate to serve God's people here. Teachers look out over their classrooms and feel inadequate to teach God's little lambs. Parents feel inadequate to raise their children. We especially feel inadequate to live as God's people, doing his will, keeping his commandments, trusting in him in every situation. We feel inadequate because we are. Sin means that we do not measure up to the perfection God demands. We fail in so many of our attempts to be good pastors and teachers, parents and employees. Our walk through the Christian life often veers to the right or the left off the path of righteousness. Yes, we are inadequate, that is why we trumpet with David, "Praise the Lord, O my soul, who forgives all our sins." Yes, he forgives every time we were inadequate and failed. He wipes our slate clean. Our past inadequacies are gone and they can't drag us down as we strive to continue to live as God's holy people.

As his father David did before him, Solomon also wants to rely on God for his help and strength to fulfill his calling as king over Israel. God gives him the opportunity to do that by making him this very special offer.

Literally God gives Solomon a blank check. "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." What to ask for, what to ask for? What an opportunity! What a temptation! What would you ask for? This question to Solomon is no different than the quandary that he put Abraham in when he asked him to sacrifice his only son. By his answer Solomon would show whether he would put God first in his life or himself.

Solomon asks for an unselfish, practical gift that serves God's people, not just Solomon. He says, "So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" Literally Solomon asks for "a heart that hears with understanding." He asks for the patience to listen carefully when someone is speaking to him. He asks for the ability to understand clearly what is being said and to cut through all the garbage to get to the truth. He asks for the ability to make right decisions based upon what he has heard. All these things are not meant to make Solomon famous as the wisest man who ever lived, but to serve God's people.

Are you a little bit envious of Solomon? God came to him directly and spoke to him. Not only that he also gave him opportunity that so many dream of, "Ask whatever you want me to give you." We don't have to be envious of Solomon because we have been given the same opportunity. God doesn't appear to us personally in a dream, but he does appear to us personally in his Word. And he gives us the same opportunity to ask whatever we want God to give us. In John 16:23 Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." That invitation isn't just addressed to the disciples, it is addressed to God fearing people like you and me. Those who love and serve the true God are able to pray in the name of Jesus and ask for whatever we want God to give us."

Although God already knew what Solomon was going to ask for, he still gave him the opportunity to ask. When Solomon did answer, God was pleased with what he asked. "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked."

Certainly as a king Solomon could have asked for long life, or money, or the death of his enemies. How many people even today wouldn't have asked for one of these three things? Our society strives after whatever can help them live longer. Our society drools over opportunities for more wealth. Our society thirsts for peace between nations as the answer to all our problems. But Solomon's answer was not selfish.

He didn't ask for personal things. He asked for a gift that would benefit God's people. His request for wisdom reflected a humble willingness to serve, to carry out his God-given calling and serve God's people.

We can learn a lot from Solomon's answer. What we learn is not that we all need to ask for wisdom too, but that we ask for things that benefit others. As parents we might ask for patience to not be harsh with my children, or for understanding so that they might discipline their children well. Boyfriend and girlfriend might pray for the ability to carry out their relationship in a chaste way. An employee might pray for humility so that he can honor his superiors and other coworkers. Church leaders might pray for strength rebuke sin and stand up for the truth. More important than the individual blessing asked for is the motivation behind the gift.

As God so often does, he blesses us beyond what we even ask or could imagine. Look what he did for Solomon, "I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be." Solomon didn't ask to be the wisest man that ever lived, but God made him so because God is so gracious with his blessings. God even gave him a long life, riches and success over his enemies and Solomon didn't even ask for those things! What an awesome God that we have.

God gives us opportunity to ask for whatever we need, especially to carry out our God-given callings. What is awesome is that he gives us the opportunity to ask and then blesses us beyond what we could possibly imagine. My guess is that you are going to take your opportunities now to ask God for whatever you need. He is pleased to have us ask and looks forward joyfully for his opportunities to bless us.

God does equip us with what we need to carry out our duties. He gives us all callings in life to fulfill and when we feel inadequate, he gives us the opportunity to ask for help and then blesses us beyond what we could possibly imagine. Take God up on his offer, and see how he pours out his blessings on you.