Moment of Meditation: Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:1)

Original Broadcast: October 2009

Monthly Theme: King Solomon

Now when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD,
she came to test him with hard questions.
(1 Kings 10:1)

Queen of Sheba

Solomon's reputation had spread clear to Sheba, somewhere south of Canaan. She came on her own errand. She wasn't like the rulers of other nations, seeking to court Solomon's favor. She was there to settle her curiosity. She had heard about Solomon and wanted to see for herself what this great king was really like.

Reputations become legendary for powerful figures. Look at all the things being said about President Obama. Is he the Messiah or the Antichrist? He's neither. He's simply a man elected to rule his country. The hardest part of the job is the extreme expectations of those he governs.

That's all the Queen of Sheba had for Solomon: high expectations because of his reputation. And she was blown away once she got there. When she saw everything that was Solomon's, "there was no more breath in her" (v5). When she caught her breath, she said, "The half was not told me" (v7).

Reputation can be a good thing. While it might bring about instant labels and preconceived ideas about you, you still have the ability to overcome or excel these ideas and labels just as Solomon did.

The biggest label you can have in this life is "Christian." Everyone has preconceived ideas as to what "Christian" means. Strive to be so Christ-like in your Christian walk that you blow away the preconceived ideas so that there's no more breath in them. This is the work of Christ-like faith following in Christ's footsteps. Amen.