As I read through 2 Chronicles 1, it’s helpful to be reminded that Solomon was given wisdom because of God’s plan to care for His people through Solomon’s wisdom, not just because Solomon was smart to ask for this. Solomon later made huge mistakes in poor handling of God’s favor in his life, yet we can learn from how God gave Solomon wisdom for His divine purposes here on earth. Do we want God’s favor in our lives just for our own earthly advancement? Do we strive for successes because we want more and more? Particularly in the U.S. we can be so consumer and consumption-oriented. Life has not been given to us to squander. It’s been given to us to celebrate and glorify God and to be His instruments and tools for transformation in each other’s lives, again for His glory.

As we celebrate God’s goodness together, we have the opportunity to find the value of wisdom in this life. It’s a true honor to be His children in a fallen and sinful world. We have the opportunity to demonstrate God’s grace in the midst of so much darkness. We have the opportunity to prioritize knowing God in the midst of so much self-orientation, and we can direct our gaze and the gaze of those we meet to the beauty and excellence of God. This is wisdom. Where does the wisdom of God most clearly manifest itself to humanity? The cross of Jesus Christ. Nowhere else does God so clearly reveal His condescension (the good kind of “coming down to us in love and grace”) and His long-suffering love. What a glorious and amazing God!

Today, may we look for God’s wisdom in the Gospel of Jesus Christ with every step. As we take one step at a time, may we observe how God is wise and good to give us our lot for this day, our bestowment of grace from Heaven. God has given us exactly what is necessary for this day to honor and enjoy Him, including what seems to be very dark and negative, as it all points us back to our need for Him and His sufficiency for us and those we encounter.

This is the Gospel of Christ on the ground, finding Christ to be satisfying and sufficient no matter our circumstances. This is wisdom.

Let’s be content and satisfied with God’s wisdom instead of a constant striving after human knowledge and admiration.

Let’s encounter God today in Jesus Christ and point each other and the lost to this all-satisfying Savior.

– Torrey