A Talent From God

Ever heard of the saying: “Be careful what you want when you are twenty, because you will have its fruit by the time you are forty”? Those who make the right choices in early life reap the right rewards in later life. No wonder the Scripture says: “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom” (Proverbs 4:7).

If God came to you today and said you could have one of the following, which would you choose? Friends – wealth – knowledge – honour – long life – power – prestige – fame – wisdom – security – happiness – popularity? Many of us I’m pretty sure will pick power because in a corrupt world we live to day, power will also mean fame, friends and wealth. Smart choice? Let’s take a closer look at Solomon’s life, King David’s son, before making the choice.

Solomon begins his reign well, and follows in his father’s footsteps by demonstrating a great love for the Lord and offering many sacrifices to Him at Gibeon. God appears to Solomon one night in a dream and says to him: “Ask for whatever you want me to give you” (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon is deeply aware of his inadequacy as a ruler of Israel and so he asked the Lord for a wise and discerning heart. His principal concern is for the people over whom he is to rule, and because of this noble attitude, the Lord promises him wealth and honour as well as the wisdom which he requests. The wisdom which God gives to Solomon is clearly demonstrated in the way he handles the case of two prostitutes who come to him both claiming to be the mother of a certain child. Wisdom prevails and the problem has been resolved. Solomon demonstrated sound organizational ability – no doubt a by-product of the wisdom and discernment the Lord gave him – when he appointed a cabinet to help him govern. He shows expertise in many directions, ranging from human nature to natural science. Kings of different countries come to him with gifts just to hear the wisdom, which God had given him. His contributions to the Old Testament is quite significant – Psalms 72 and 127, a large section of the book of Proverbs, the book of Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon. Lastly, while it was his father’s lifelong dream, King David, to build a temple to the Lord in the city of Jerusalem, it was left to him, to realise that lifelong dream simply because God want him to do the job.

Would you want to be the vessel God reaches for when He has a job to do? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to so win His favor that He delights in choosing you for special purposes? Let us make it our desire to be handpicked by God for a unique task He has in mind. If you earnestly desire to be used in the Lord’s service, take heart. HE wants to use you.

When you offered yourself to God, as one who had been brought from death to life, He knows you mean business. If you do that, He is then free to cleanse you and fill you with His power. And remember, the person He fills is the person He uses. The same way, the person to whom He gave a special talent is the person He uses. He even rewards that person with additional great talent if the person remains faithful to Him.
Now, which would you choose if God came to you today and said you could have one of those mentioned above? Friend, if it were not wisdom – then your choice would be poor indeed.

Having a hard time making the right choices in your life today? Let me point you to the Giver of wisdom. He knows what is best for you. In fact, He died because of His great love for you. Search Him, know Him, place Him in the center of your life and you will never have a hard time making right choices for your life. Making decision of inviting Christ to come in to your life would be the best decision you will make in your entire life.