Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America

Saturday after the Eighth Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Posted on July 23, 2016 by Pastor Dulas under Devotions
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Scripture: 2 Chronicles 1:1-13 (NKJV)

1 Now Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and exalted him exceedingly.

2 And Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ houses. 3 Then Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for the tabernacle of meeting with God was there, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness. 4 But David had brought up the ark of God from Kirjath Jearim to the place David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. 5 Now the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the LORD; Solomon and the assembly sought Him there. 6 And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

7 On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

8 And Solomon said to God: “You have shown great mercy to David my father, and have made me king in his place. 9 Now, O LORD God, let Your promise to David my father be established, for You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. 10 Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?”

11 And God said to Solomon: “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life—but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king—12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.”

13 So Solomon came to Jerusalem from the high place that was at Gibeon, from before the tabernacle of meeting, and reigned over Israel.

Devotion

We should all learn to pray like King Solomon. In our daily vocations, whether that be father, mother, son, daughter, pastor, layman, employer, employee, or whatever it may be, we should acknowledge that we cannot fulfill that vocation unless we recognize that our ability to do to so comes from the Lord God.

King Solomon understood that the Lord God had placed him into his office of king. He further understood that unless the Lord God had a hand in helping him in his vocation He would fail. Therefore, when the Lord God tells King Solomon to ask for whatever he will, he asks for wisdom to rule God’s people. This the Lord God happily grants.

However, there is a temptation to ask the Lord God to grant our petition to complete our vocation, and then do as we please anyway. King Solomon eventually stopped using his wisdom to accomplish God’s will, and was pulled away to worship false gods by his many wives.

We could be the wisest person on the planet and still all of our plans would fail if the Lord God does not will them to happen. Therefore, we need to remember to not only pray for God’s help in fulfilling our vocations, but also remember that we cannot accomplish anything that is good without His constant help and support.

We pray: Grant to us, Lord, we beseech Thee, the Spirit to think and do always such things as are right, that we, who cannot do anything that is good without Thee, may by Thee be enabled to live according to Thy will; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Amen.

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