God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore (1 Kings 4:29, NIV).
If I were going to sum up the main point of 1 Kings 4 in a single sentence it would be this: God keeps His promises. Solomon asked for wisdom and discernment so that he could be an effective king and leader of God’s people. God responded saying that He would not only grant his request but that He would go far beyond it in giving him political success, peace, wealth, and fame (1 Kings 3:10-13). This chapter summarizes how God fulfilled His promise throughout Solomon’s reign.
Here are a few thoughts I am taking away from this chapter:
God is trustworthy. God made a huge promise to Solomon, and He kept it. God wants us to know that He is trustworthy. He proves it by keeping His promises big and small. Seeing that He kept His promise to Solomon should build our trust that He will keep them for us too.
God is generous. God went far beyond what Solomon asked. God is many things but stingy is not one of them. Because He is generous we should not hesitate to ask Him for the things we need, no matter how great. He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32, NIV).
God is especially generous when we ask for means to benefit others. I think what impressed God so much about Solomon’s request was that he was thinking about others; it wasn’t selfish or self-serving, but other-minded. When we pray for things, we should be mindful that the things we ask for be not just for our own private benefit, but that they be things that can help us effectively love and serve others. After all, the way we show our love for God is in loving others (Matthew 22:36-40).
Learning To Be Full Of Grace And Truth. 