Solomon Says: A 5-Day Plan for TweensSample

Day 1

Why in the world would anyone want to spend their time reading an ancient book of wisdom, of proverbs? What could some guy who lived thousands of years ago possibly have to say about your life, right now?

You’d be surprised.

First of all, much of the book of Proverbs wasn’t written by just any guy—it was written by King Solomon. When Solomon became king (971 BC), he could have asked God for anything—riches, cool hair, his enemies to be flattened—but he didn’t. He asked for the wisdom he would need to lead God’s people. Because of that selfless request, God made Solomon “greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth” (2 Chronicles 9:22 niv). To put it in dollars, Solomon’s yearly gold income alone was 666 talents (1 Kings 10:14–15), around $1 billion in today’s dollars. Add to that his livestock, gifts from other rulers, income from traders, and you’ve got a pretty astronomical amount of wealth. God certainly gave Solomon what he asked for—and so much more.

Solomon, the richest, wisest man in the world, knew the power of wisdom. He knew it because he lived it. And now he’s sharing it with us. Doesn’t that sound like something worth exploring?

So let’s dig in to this book of wisdom, this collection of proverbs. Let’s see what that ancient King Solomon has to say—because this kind of wisdom can change a mind, change a heart, change the world.

Let’s pray that it does just that:

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Dear God,

Thank You for offering King Solomon the gift of wisdom. Help me to listen to his words. And help me to learn from the wisdom he’s left behind for me. Amen. ---

So, let’s say you’re now the king or queen, and you want to pass on your legacy of wisdom to someone else. What would your letter say? What would your proverbs be?