God and our threshold moments – August 30
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:1-24; PM Psalm 12, 13, 14
1 Kings 3:1-15; Acts 27:9-26; Mark 14:1-11
Thresholds. I remember learning somewhere about ministry happening in threshold moments, where something is changing. Birth. Graduation. Marriage. Job change. Divorce. Illness. Moving. Death. These thresholds have varying levels of excitement, uncertainty, resolution, and faith wrapped up in them. One of my favorite writers, John O’Donohue, writes many prayers and blessings to carry readers through such tumultuous waters.
As I sit with the scriptures from 1 Kings appointed for yesterday and today, I am struck by two big threshold moments: King David’s final words to his son Solomon, and Solomon’s humble prayer to God as he begins his role as king of Israel.
Let’s start first with the goodbye. As David was dying, he said this to his son: “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, be courageous, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.” (1 Kings 2:2-3) David advised his son to remember who he was and whose he was. The old king knew that he did not always follow the commandments of God, and he hoped that his son would make choices that honored God. The father also passed along a promise of faithfulness that the Lord proclaimed to him: “’If your heirs take heed to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you a successor on the throne of Israel.’” (1 Kings 2:4) David was leaving his son Solomon a legacy of a kingdom, for sure, and more importantly, a legacy of living fully into faith in God – through prayer, through song, through relationships with others. The words are heavy and hopeful.
And then, we have the threshold moment of Solomon, walking into the role as King of Israel. He went to Gibeon to make a sacrifice to honor God. Solomon had a dream in which God said “Ask what I should give you.” Powerful, right? How would you respond?
Well, here’s what Solomon said, in a nutshell: “God, you were so loving to my dad David, who aimed to please and serve you. Because of that, he lived a faithful life. And now, I am where I am today, because of you, Lord. I find myself as your servant and as a king over your people, those you love and care for. So, this is what I ask: please give me “an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil”.
God was so pleased by how Solomon presented himself. The new king asked for wisdom and understanding, rather than glory and power. God agreed, saying, “Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you.” And Solomon woke up from his dream. He continued praising God and living as faithfully and wisely as he was able.
In each of these threshold moments, David and Solomon made the loving and faithful response to change. They shared God’s love. They did what they could to be swept up into the love and promise of the Lord. As such, Solomon and David are sources of inspiration and reflection for us today. Let us walk in God’s ways and keep God’s statutes and commandments, so that for each day we live, people will know who we are and whose we are.
With God’s love,
Katherine+
Questions for Self-Reflection and Daily Challenge:
If God asked you in a dream, “Ask what I should give you,” how would you respond? Journal for 10 minutes. Pray to God about what you externalized. Share with a friend some takeaways from this exercise.