Deception or Discernment?

⁹ “So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” ¹⁰ The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. ¹¹ So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, ¹² I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.”

1 Kings 3:9-12

There are so many voices, so much noise! According to www.eMarketer.com, “in 2019, time spent with media by US adults will average 12 hours, 9 minutes per day (referenced as 12:09), a 1-minute increase from our estimate last year.”

What voices are you listening to? How much noise have you allowed into your headspace? How do you differentiate the truth from lies? What is the foundation for your decision-making? There are many voices vying for our attention. Think about it, the average adult spends over 12 hours of their day receiving information from various media sources. How much of it is grounded in truth? Wisdom? I would even question the facts, since fact does not necessarily mean truth. What do I mean by that? I recently heard a powerful story of a man who was told by the doctor that the baby that his wife was carrying was actually dead. The scientific fact is that she was carrying and would deliver a dead fetus, yet he had a quickening in his spirit that it wasn’t the truth. When he saw his wife, he told her that all would be well. Months later, their son was born alive and healthy and is now 40 years old with children of his own (https://youtu.be/7LjESKGuIFY). The Bible speaks truth and yet government can establish laws, science can share research that we ultimately deem facts, but are actually contrary to the truth. I respect government and science, but I want the truth, not just the facts! Yes…take a minute and wrap your mind around that.

While reading devotions, 1 Kings 3:9-12 spoke to me. The Lord appeared to King Solomon in a dream and literally gave him carte blanche, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” Solomon recognized his inability, as a child of about 12 years of age, to fulfill his duties as king. He appropriately and perhaps unexpectedly asks God for wisdom. The Lord grants him wisdom and a discerning heart. As you read through Solomon’s life it is evident that his wisdom and discernment surpassed all the other kings and there has never been anyone quite like him.

One case that stands out is penned in 1 Kings 3:16-28:

¹⁶ Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. ¹⁷ One of them said, “Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me.¹⁸ The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.

¹⁹ “During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. ²⁰ So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. ²¹ The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.”

²² The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.”

But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king.

²³ The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’”

²⁴ Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. ²⁵ He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

²⁶ The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”

But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”

²⁷ Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”

²⁸ When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.

Wow!!! Who could have imagined such a resolution for such a dilemma? Solomon was able to discern the hearts of the women through the appropriation of God’s wisdom.

It has become so clear to me that now more than ever, the people of God must have sharp discernment. In the Oxford English dictionary (in Christian contexts) discernment is perception in the absence of judgment with a view to obtaining spiritual guidance and understanding. Discernment enables us to assess situations, be attentive to intimations, pray over decisions, and ultimately make choices that align with Biblical truth. In short, we must ask the Holy Spirit to give us ears to hear what He is saying and then to obey the direction that He provides. John 10:27 says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. Without His guidance, we find ourselves making judgments and decisions that are simply based on our five senses.

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7

My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. ⁹ For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 55:8-9

I believe that the Lord is speaking to us clearly here. We do not see things the way that He does. “For now we see through a glass, darkly” (1 Cor. 13:12a). For this very reason, we must ask Him to open our eyes and ears to the Holy Spirit. This applies to personal, family and civic matters to say the least. Since we are in an election year, there is much to consider as we choose judges, the members of Congress and the President of the United States. Yes, please be informed. Understand where candidates stand on issues, especially those that are close to God’s heart such as life, marriage, liberty, and religious freedom. Here is a helpful link: https://ivoterguide.com/vote. But as you make your final decisions, seek the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Ask him to sharpen your discernment – to give you ears to hear what He is saying, and not just what’s on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or what’s featured on the nightly news. God has given us a civic responsibility to vote and to pray for our leaders.

¹ I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. ² Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.

1 Timothy 2:1-2

Stay out of digital rants! The temptation to engage becomes a trap that isolates people and minimizes any opportunity to develop healthy relationships with one another. It’s not worth it…really! Vitriol never accomplishes anything and usually leads to more vitriol.

My prayer for all of us today is that our spiritual eyes and ears are turned towards Him. Holy Spirit, help us to have a discerning heart and to tune out the noise of the world and tune into your heart for our personal lives and for the destiny of our Nation. Help us engage in your affairs and to not be caught up in the affairs of the world. Grant us wisdom in communicating with those in our circle of influence. Help us to be a blessing and to bear remaining fruit for the Kingdom.

In Jesus Name…Amen!!!