[Solomon] 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.' "
Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword for the king. He then gave an order: "Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other." The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion 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!"
Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother."
1 Kings 3:23-24
I nearly cried as I read this morning, because in the passage above we see a woman surrender her child TO AN ENEMY, because she loved her baby. She knew in her "heart-of-hearts" that demanding her right would only result in the death of the one she loved most. Surrender was the only way.
This story, above all others, is the one that God uses to demonstrate the wisdom of Solomon, wisdom he requested so that he could rule God's people. This wisdom divides between soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12), a old testament picture of the active, living Word of God. The soul said "my right", while the spirit inside said "save the baby". This was wisdom that pleased God then, and pleases God now. Specific, painful at times....necessary. Today I saw the truth, and the truth set me free.
This one is personal. What are YOU protecting, that God is asking you to surrender?
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