To hear this Morning Devotion, please click Overwhelmed
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For the queen of Sheba to have been overwhelmed, Solomon’s wisdom and wealth must have been beyond comprehension.
In 2 Chronicles 9, the story is given of the queen’s visit to Solomon. She and a large entourage came to Jerusalem because she wanted to see if the fantastic reports about Israel’s ruler and the city’s opulence were true.
She saw that the reports paled in comparison to reality.
“When the queen of Sheba realized how wise Solomon was, and when she saw the palace he had built, she was overwhelmed. She was also amazed at the food on his tables, the organization of his officials and their splendid clothing, the cup-bearers and their robes, and the burnt offerings Solomon made at the Temple of the Lord… ‘I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes.'” (Vv. 3-5).
The blessings pouring into her mind and soul didn’t stop with the visual and mental feasts. Though the queen had brought $144 million of gold and large numbers of precious jewels as gifts of admiration, she actually left with gifts of greater value than those she had given the king.
“King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba whatever she asked for—gifts of greater value than the gifts she had given him. Then she and all her attendants returned to their own land” (verse 12).
Now consider how amazing this account is. If the queen was in a position to give this kind of “Nice to meet you” gift to another nation’s leader, then she knew a lot about being rich.
And if she was willing to go through such an elaborate, extended journey just to learn and observe Solomon’s setting and thoughts, then she knew a lot about the place of wisdom.
For her to be overwhelmed greatly intrigues my mind.
And for her to leave with more than she brought greatly inspires my hopes.
This is such a cool story. I’ll build a sermon based on the above, you can be sure.
The testimony of Bible and other believers can describe the unfathomably marvelous Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And such testimonies should flow from your life and mine into the lives of those who need the Divine Trio.
Yet, until a person decides to sincerely go the Father, Son and Spirit himself or herself, there will be no sense of being overwhelmed.
For humans are not wired to be overwhelmed vicariously but instead personally.
Yes, she was informed by testimonies about the wisdom and wealth.
But she could only be transformed through a personal encounter and relationship with the king of Israel.
Please, my friend, learn from the queen of Sheba. Go to the King of the Universe with your heart full of expectation and appreciation.
Allow your time in the Word each day to be as the queen’s expectant trip to Solomon’s court.
Allow your gifts to the King — given as tithes to your congregation and as charity to others in need — to show the depth of your appreciation for what He does in your life.
Do these things and you’ll be overwhelmed with the wisdom of God and with the fact that He always gives more to you than you give to Him.
Even more overwhelmed you’ll be when you stand in God’s throneroom and you say, ‘I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes.’
As always, I love you
Martin
God is so good! Words cannot express how good. Thanks for your devotion, so beautiful.
Thanks for the encouragement, Vicky. So glad that you have such an appreciation for our Lord. He is amazing! And you are wonderful.
Martin