1 Kings 3:5-14, NIRV

⁵The Lord appeared to Solomon at Gibeon. He spoke to him in a dream during the night. God said, “Ask for anything you want me to give you.”

⁶Solomon answered, “You have been very kind to my father David, your servant. That’s because he was faithful to you. He did what was right. His heart was honest. And you have continued to be very kind to him. You have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.

⁷“Lord my God, you have now made me king. You have put me in the place of my father David. But I’m only a little child. I don’t know how to carry out my duties. ⁸I’m here among the people you have chosen. They are a great nation. They are more than anyone can count. ⁹So give me a heart that understands. Then I can rule over your people. I can tell the difference between what is right and what is wrong. Who can possibly rule over this great nation of yours?”

¹⁰The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for that. ¹¹So God said to him, “You have not asked to live for a long time. You have not asked to be wealthy. You have not even asked to have your enemies killed. Instead, you have asked for wisdom. You want to do what is right and fair when you judge people. Because that is what you have asked for, ¹²I will give it to you. I will give you a wise and understanding heart. So here is what will be true of you. There has never been anyone like you. And there never will be. ¹³And that is not all. I will give you what you have not asked for. I will give you wealth and honor. As long as you live, no other king will be as great as you are. ¹⁴Live the way I want you to. Obey my laws and commands, just as your father David did. Then I will let you live for a long time.”

Definition:

Worship – to give honor, hope, praise, and glory to God.

Message:

If you could have anything you wish for, what would it be? (Allow children to respond.) In today’s scripture, we find a new character in King Solomon and a new book, 1 Kings. This book follows 2 Samuel in the Old Testament part of the Bible. The book of 1 Kings begins with the reign of Solomon as king. Solomon begins to build great buildings, including a spectacular temple for worshiping God in Jerusalem. Solomon reigns for forty years. Both he and David had forty-year reigns. The number forty is an important number in our Bible. After Solomon died, Israel was divided into two nations. One nation obeyed God, while the other disobeyed. The book of 1 Kings is about learning the importance of obeying God all your life. And for us, that includes always making God worthy of worship.

King Solomon had a difficult choice of what to wish for. He could have asked for more power and honor, but he had been king just long enough to realize how hard the job was. So, he said that he was like a little child who needed help, and he prayed for God to give him the wisdom to serve God’s people well. Solomon’s wish pleased God. Think about what you wished for earlier. I wonder if what you wished for would be pleasing to God.

You, too, will have to make hard choices about what is important in your life. During your life, you will have to choose how to spend your time, money, and energy. What choices will you make? God can help you know what is truly valuable in life so that you make good choices.

Today, I want to focus on the next word in our definition of worship. Let’s say it together, “Worship – to give honor, hope, praise, and glory to God.” When we gather for worship in church or when we worship quietly during the week, we are praising God. Praising God is a choice. How many ways do you know to praise God? Can we praise God by praying silently when we are alone? (Allow children to answer.) YES! Can we praise God by praying out loud in a large group of people? (Allow children to answer.) YES! Can we praise God through singing? (Allow children to answer.) YES! Can we praise God by playing a musical instrument? (Allow children to answer.) YES! Can we praise God by dancing? (Allow children to answer.) YES! Are there others that you can think of? (Allow children to offer other suggestions.)

Jesus’ followers all over the world praise God in many different ways. Some dance, kneel, or raise their hands when praise God. Some hold hands with others as they praise God. Some use musical instruments.

God likes all kinds of praise, regardless of the language used or the musical instrument played. Whether you’re alone and quiet or in a group that is louder; whether you move around or sit still, it is important to use your mind, heart, and body to offer praise the best way you know how.

When we worship, we need a good word to go with us and remain with us. We continue to worship as we live our lives praising God.

Prayer:

God, sometimes it is hard to know what choices to make in life. Give me a heart that understands and wisdom to know what is right when I make choices. Allow me to praise you in a variety of ways. As long as I live, the choice I make is to praise you! Amen.