“All the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. They brought every man his gift, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year. Now Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; and he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem” (1 Kings 10:24-26).
These verses highlight the inherent dangers of success we achieve through the use of our God-given gifts and talents. For a brief time, Solomon had truly become an international celebrity because of the wisdom which had been given to him by God. But this international stage was given to him to promote the glory of God. Instead, Solomon started to feel entitled and acted as if God’s rules applied to everyone else but him. For in the stockpiling of gold, silver, and horses, particularly horses from Egypt, Solomon was disobeying the explicit commandments of God to Israel’s kings (see Deut 17:16-17).
May the wise Solomon’s folly serve as a warning to us all. Thriving ministries, prospering businesses, and extraordinary success never entitle us to take liberties with God’s commandments. God did not create us to be the sun in this galaxy. We are his moon. The purpose of life in our successes as well as our failures is to reflect the light of God’s glory. And this means we must always use our platforms of success to brag about the LORD!
“It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep!” (Psa 92:1-5).
