Saturday, September 5, 2026
Scripture Readings
- Primary Reading: 2 Samuel 24, 1 Kings 1-4
Devotional Thought
What does it look like to seek God’s wisdom when you are the one in charge? That question hangs over this stretch of Scripture, which begins with David’s disastrous census and ends with Solomon’s shining request. In 2 Samuel 24, David—perhaps moved by pride or the raw desire to measure his own strength—orders Joab to number the fighting men of Israel. Even Joab protests, but the king’s word prevails, and seventy thousand die in the plague that follows. David’s heart smites him, and he cries out, “I have sinned greatly in that I have done.” He builds an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, buying the oxen and the ground rather than offering to God that which costs him nothing. The place of that costly sacrifice becomes, in time, the very site of the temple.
Then the narrative turns a page. David is old, and Adonijah exalts himself, saying, “I will be king.” He gathers chariots and horsemen and invites his brothers—but not Solomon, and not Nathan the prophet, and not the mighty men. Ambition always gathers its own crowd and leaves out the inconvenient. Nathan and Bathsheba move swiftly, and David keeps his oath: Solomon is anointed at Gihon, and the city rejoices with such a sound that the earth splits with it. Adonijah’s feast scatters; his guests slip away, and he clings to the horns of the altar for his life.
At the start of 1 Kings 3, God appears to Solomon at Gibeon and says, “Ask what I shall give thee.” What a moment. A young king, a new throne, a blank check from heaven. Solomon asks not for riches or long life or vengeance on his enemies, but for “an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad.” God is pleased, and gives him both the wisdom he asked for and the riches he did not. The famous test follows—two women, one living child, one dead—and Solomon’s verdict reveals the true mother’s heart.
This is the season of beginnings, of new school years and fresh responsibilities, and most of us carry some small measure of authority: over a classroom, a household, a team, a budget. These chapters ask us to examine how we use it. Do we number our resources to boast, like David, or ask for discernment, like Solomon? Do we gather only those who flatter us, like Adonijah, or heed the faithful voices God has placed beside us? The throne is not the only place where wisdom is needed. The kitchen table and the office desk are thrones too.
Reflection
- Where in your life are you tempted to “number the people”—to measure your own strength, resources, or success rather than trusting God with them?
- If God said to you tonight, “Ask what I shall give thee,” what would your honest first request reveal about your heart?
Prayer
Lord, You are the King above every king, and all authority in my life is held under Yours. Forgive me for the times I have counted my own strength, like David, and acted as though the outcome depended on me alone. Give me, like Solomon, an understanding heart—wisdom to discern between good and bad in the small decisions no one else sees. Silence the voices of flattery and self-exaltation, and let me heed the faithful counsel You place beside me. May I seek first Your kingdom, trusting that You will add all things needful. In the name of Jesus, the greater Solomon, Amen.