More wise than not
O Lord, who may abide in your tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain? Psalm 15:1
Read 1 Kings 3:21—28
It’s a rather sordid story. No one was setting out to be Godly. There are no fathers taking any responsibility. There is no conversion to God at the end. A prostitute takes away the living boy at the end, and will give him what upbringing she can. It may not be wonderful, but we know that his mother wants him and did not forfeit him when she had the opportunity. I suppose Solomon has shown himself to be astute or cunning or (anyway, we have always taken him to be so) wise in the circumstances. I guess, many times, there are decisions I am called to make, and as God’s child all I can do is to work for the not so bad outcome rather than the total stuff-up. And even to work for that is an honour.
God of all wisdom, in the ultimate, in the outcome of this life, there will come the Day of the Lord. That will be sweet. There will come the harvest and it will be a righteous one. There will be truth. There will be clarity and no more tears, no more sighing, no regret that ethical things are unresolved. But I am here and now. Give me a sustaining faithfulness. In my daily decisions may I tend towards the truth, decide for the more right, live for the hope and the vision of the day of your worked out purpose.