2 Chronicles 9:1-9. The Queen of Sheba, having heard of Solomon's wisdom, visits him "to test him with hard questions." She brings with her "a very great retinue and camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones." She tells Solomon everything on her mind, and he answers every one of her questions, and there is nothing he cannot explain to her. She is left with "no spirit in her" and she praises Solomon greatly, and lavishes him with vast and costly gifts. She says "Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on his throne as king for the for the Lord your God! Because your God loved Israel and would establish them forever, he has made you king over them, that you may execute justice and righteousness."

Less than two weeks ago, I had another reading from 2 Chronicles that I titled "Solomon Evangelizes" because his letter to the King of Tyre requesting a trade was so brimming with Solomon's joy in the Lord, that it caused that king to proclaim the greatness of the God of Israel in making Solomon its king. Here we see much the same thing. This time, Solomon does not write with joy and praise to the Queen of Sheba, instead she comes to him, filled with curiosity and, it's clear, a fighting spirit, eager to prove (to herself at least) that Solomon can't be as great as she has heard. Solomon receives this foreign queen, who is clearly trying to impress him with her status, with honor and no guile. He simply talks to her, answering all her difficult questions.

Because Solomon has asked for wisdom from the Lord, he has received it. He does not need to prepare for this debate or rely on cunning or strategy when dealing with this foreign queen, he simply relies on God and the wisdom God has given him. I am sure he does this in every meeting, and in every facet in his life. It is not artifice, it is truth, and a way of just relaxing into the power of God. Because of his faith, there is nothing hidden from Solomon, and he answers the queen's questions with truth and insight beyond what she could have imagined. When confronted with this, the queen loses the fighting spirit with which she came and just surrenders to the beauty and greatness of the truth. She praises Solomon and God profusely, acknowledging, like the King of Tyre before her, that Israel's God must delight in his people to give them such a great king.

Just by living his life in God's love, Solomon is showing who the one true God is, and people are noticing. Solomon does not try to convince people of God's greatness, he just believes and lives it, and therefore has the gifts of it - the joy, the wisdom, the confidence. These gifts all come with trust in God, and they all influence other people in ways we cannot possibly plan for.