1 Kings 3:5-9 – “One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream.  God said, “Tell me what I should give you.” ⁶ Solomon replied, “You demonstrated great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served you faithfully, properly, and sincerely.  You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne.  ⁷ Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in my father David’s place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced.  ⁸ Your servant stands among your chosen people; they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. ⁹ So give your servant a discerning mind so he can make judicial decisions for your people and distinguish right from wrong.  Otherwise no one is able to make judicial decisions for this great nation of yours.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, something from 1 Kings captured my thoughts.  Solomon had a night vision, and God asked, “What do you want Me to give you?”   How many would have asked selfishly?   How many would have asked in faux piousness, trying to impress God?  Solomon asked for two specific things in 1 Kings 3:9: an understanding heart and discernment.  God gave that and more.

1 Kings 4:29 – “And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart.” That got my attention.  What is largeness of heart?

On translation, this verse, “largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the seashore.”   This phrase is often interpreted to mean that Solomon had a great capacity for understanding and courage.

In the Bible, “largeness of heart” is the ability to rise above petty irritations.   That means that “largeness of heart” enables the person to rise above petty irritations and embrace God with gratitude.  “Largeness of heart” is the ability to contain more than yourself inside yourself and to have room for something more.   It is the ability to understand the hearts of others.   “Largeness of heart” is the ability to understand the heart of others, even if you are not like them.

God gave him the ability to look beyond the surface, the superficial, and see the heart.   He gave him supernatural discernment.   That is a spiritual quality desperately needed today.  Jesus warned in Luke 21:8, “Be careful that you may not be deceived.”

In today’s confused and corrupt world, where deception is pervasive, we need largeness of heart.  If we lack discernment, we will focus on the wrong things and misjudge people.   We will fail to see God’s purposes.  Preference will prevail over principle.  God has commissioned us to take the message of the Cross to the world and set the captive free.  Without largeness of heart, we will alienate rather than liberate.

God help us to see as You see and love as You love.  Give us wisdom and discernment.   We have a world to win, and we will win it if we allow God to give us wisdom and discernment, love and compassion, and largeness of heart. 

Remember, you are bigger than your problems because Christ is in you!  So, rejoice!

Have a wonderful day and treasure what God has granted you!