'Tis The Season To Be Distracted

I was reading a big chunk of 1 Kings the other day. It was the section which focused on the work of King Solomon. 

Consider this passage from 1 Kings 4:29-34 (NET)

God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment; the breadth of his understanding was as infinite as the sand on the seashore. 

Solomon was wiser than all the men of the east and all the sages of Egypt. 

He was wiser than any man, including Ethan the Ezrahite or Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. 

He was famous in all the neighbouring nations. 

He composed 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. 

He produced manuals on botany, describing every kind of plant, from the cedars of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows on walls. 

He also produced manuals on biology, describing animals, birds, insects, and fish. 

People from all nations came to hear Solomon’s display of wisdom; they came from all the kings of the earth who heard about his wisdom.

Solomon was the biblical king best known for his wisdom. God appeared to Solomon in a dream, asking him what he wanted from God. Solomon asked for wisdom in order to better rule and govern his people. This request was pleasing to God; Solomon had not asked for long life or the death of his enemies, and God was pleased to grant his request.  There is no other era in the historic record of ancient Israel when it was as wealthy or lavished with such splendour. 

Solomon’s reign as king was characterised by extraordinary material and physical blessing for the people of God, under the leadership of a God-given wise man as their king.  He built the temple – the house of God – as a profound act of worship and adoration of the God who provided them with so much blessing.  

The extravagance and apparent excesses of the descriptions of material prosperity and adoration in this section of 1 Kings can be considered to be “from God”, and part of the biblical narrative as a glimpse of what God intends for us, in the new heaven and new earth. These are descriptions of the materiality and physicality of shalom – enjoyed in all their fullness by God’s people.

All the ways in which Solomon honoured God, and the ways his leadership gave testimony to God’s blessing, are described in the first ten chapters of 1 Kings. The eleventh, however, describes how he fell short of what God expected of him, and the subsequent strife this brought Israel. It’s a salient lesson for all of us, especially in moments of great triumph and celebration.

As a community of believers, we gathered on Tuesday night for our Secondary Thanksgiving Service – a night where our secondary students and their families gathered at Crossway Church. We sang, prayed, reflected, shared, looked forward and celebrated – all the while acknowledging the bedrock that God is for our school and all our endeavours.  

It was a night led in many parts by our students – worship and reflection times highlighting the way God answers prayers, makes himself known in the lives of our students and guides and leads them as they testify to His work amongst us.

Some of us also gathered on Wednesday night for a final Year 12 event. With their exams finished, these young men and women are about to launch into life after school. But, first, one more night together – celebrating each other’s giftedness, enjoying good company, fellowship and a night of relaxation and good food alongside many of the staff who have supported them in their journey. 

A night in which God’s work amongst our most senior students was on display – their mutual respect, care and generosity evidence of the prayers of their parents and those of the school’s staff being answered.

There are many, many events we will move through before the end of the school year.  Farewells, welcomes, thanksgivings – even simple tidy up and finishing well will take focus, time and energy. It has been a big year, with many tales of remarkable success for many of our students. 

As we circle towards each of these end-of-year events, let’s remember (rather, let’s not forget) that we serve the God who created the universe, who reconciled us back to Him through His own gracious goodness, and that as His community we are called to do all things for His glory. 

Let’s not be distracted, in the midst of so much to celebrate, from remembering the source of all the bounty we enjoy as a school community; let’s spend a moment, each of us, considering the small window revealing our eternal provision that God gives us when we gather for such events.  

It is wonderful to gather, celebrate and give thanks for so much goodness – let’s place all we have and do at God’s feet as an act of worship, as we seek to know His will for the days, weeks, months and years we have ahead of us.  

As Paul exhorted the Corinthians in his letter to them (2 Corinthians 4:18):

Let’s fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Shalom.