"Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 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?"
That was King Solomon's first request of God when he was ordained to be the king of Israel. And God was pleased with this request! According to the Scripture, God said to Solomon, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have you asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 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."
The absolute next thing that happened in Scripture was the wise ruling Solomon made between two mothers. They both had babies born 3 days apart from each other. During the night, one woman's son died because she lay on him. So she got up in the middle of the night and took the other woman's son while she was asleep - and exchanged the dead for the living son. Then both women appeared before Solomon and argued their case before the king. The woman who took the son explained what had happened to the king according to her lie. But the other woman said, "My son is alive and yours is the one dead! And the other said, 'No! Your son is dead and mine is alive!' "
Then the king said, 'Bring me a sword! 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 living 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."
Solomon took a leap in faith as he presented this option before the women. They could have chosen to sacrifice the living to deal with their problem. The compassionate mother knew to let the baby live - 'adopted' by the other even if it meant a life of knowing her child would be raised up by another. She chose life for her child.
Today I was sent a modern day version of this story. It is called, "Baby" by an unknown author. In researching its' origins I found the blog that posted it had stirred up quite a controversy. Many people really have disdain for those who choose to believe that the life growing inside a womb is actually a child. When I was 19 my concept of the 'tissue' inside of me called a fetus was not interpreted yet in my understanding to be a child either. In fact, it was a problem. A BIG problem. So I chose to abort. However, after coming to faith in the Living God and His Holy Word some 27 years later, I did a little research to see what God thought about such matters.
One of the many scriptures that pierced my heart was, "There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him; haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers." When I read that, I knew I had shed innocent blood. And on top of that, I lived a lie by not telling a soul except the father. Actually, as soon as I heard of the pregnancy, I rushed to take care of the problem. Reading the Word many years later gave me understanding that the fetus I chose to abort was actually a life, it was no longer a blob of tissue....in fact, it was a life that God created just like you and I. He 'knit me together in my mother's womb...when I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." And in 1979, it was my choice to cut the days short of my unborn child.
It is no small coincidence that God chose to give Solomon his wisdom and the first test of that gift was over the life of a child as written in 1 Kings 3. Solomon did very well on his test. He knew the scripture that says God knit him in the womb - actually Solomon's dad, King David, wrote that scripture in Psalm 139. Solomon grew up on the teaching of the Holy Scriptures. Sure, King David made some mistakes, like all humans do, but he had a heart after God...and he taught his son well to respect the life of any child...born or unborn. I look back and see that one of my greatest tests was over the life of a child too. I failed that one miserably...but, I praise God because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; His works are wonderful, and I know that full well - now. And His love for me has taken that decision to the cross where my sin and guilt have been atoned. Blessed be His Name!
Here is the "Baby" story - just a reminder of how we can overlook the obvious at times. Though God is faithful and can bring others with wisdom to speak truth into our hearts - sooner or later. Do you have an ear to hear?
BABY
That was King Solomon's first request of God when he was ordained to be the king of Israel. And God was pleased with this request! According to the Scripture, God said to Solomon, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have you asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 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."
The absolute next thing that happened in Scripture was the wise ruling Solomon made between two mothers. They both had babies born 3 days apart from each other. During the night, one woman's son died because she lay on him. So she got up in the middle of the night and took the other woman's son while she was asleep - and exchanged the dead for the living son. Then both women appeared before Solomon and argued their case before the king. The woman who took the son explained what had happened to the king according to her lie. But the other woman said, "My son is alive and yours is the one dead! And the other said, 'No! Your son is dead and mine is alive!' "
Then the king said, 'Bring me a sword! 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 living 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."
Solomon took a leap in faith as he presented this option before the women. They could have chosen to sacrifice the living to deal with their problem. The compassionate mother knew to let the baby live - 'adopted' by the other even if it meant a life of knowing her child would be raised up by another. She chose life for her child.
Today I was sent a modern day version of this story. It is called, "Baby" by an unknown author. In researching its' origins I found the blog that posted it had stirred up quite a controversy. Many people really have disdain for those who choose to believe that the life growing inside a womb is actually a child. When I was 19 my concept of the 'tissue' inside of me called a fetus was not interpreted yet in my understanding to be a child either. In fact, it was a problem. A BIG problem. So I chose to abort. However, after coming to faith in the Living God and His Holy Word some 27 years later, I did a little research to see what God thought about such matters.
One of the many scriptures that pierced my heart was, "There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him; haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers." When I read that, I knew I had shed innocent blood. And on top of that, I lived a lie by not telling a soul except the father. Actually, as soon as I heard of the pregnancy, I rushed to take care of the problem. Reading the Word many years later gave me understanding that the fetus I chose to abort was actually a life, it was no longer a blob of tissue....in fact, it was a life that God created just like you and I. He 'knit me together in my mother's womb...when I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." And in 1979, it was my choice to cut the days short of my unborn child.
It is no small coincidence that God chose to give Solomon his wisdom and the first test of that gift was over the life of a child as written in 1 Kings 3. Solomon did very well on his test. He knew the scripture that says God knit him in the womb - actually Solomon's dad, King David, wrote that scripture in Psalm 139. Solomon grew up on the teaching of the Holy Scriptures. Sure, King David made some mistakes, like all humans do, but he had a heart after God...and he taught his son well to respect the life of any child...born or unborn. I look back and see that one of my greatest tests was over the life of a child too. I failed that one miserably...but, I praise God because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; His works are wonderful, and I know that full well - now. And His love for me has taken that decision to the cross where my sin and guilt have been atoned. Blessed be His Name!
Here is the "Baby" story - just a reminder of how we can overlook the obvious at times. Though God is faithful and can bring others with wisdom to speak truth into our hearts - sooner or later. Do you have an ear to hear?
BABY
A worried woman went to her gynecologist and said:
'Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not even 1 year old and I'm pregnant again. I don't want kids so close together.
So the doctor said: 'Ok and what do you want me to do?'
She said: 'I want you to end my pregnancy, and I'm counting on your help with this.'
The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady: 'I think I have a better solution for your problem. It's less dangerous for you too.'
She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request.
Then he continued: 'You see, in order for you not to have to take care 2 babies at the same time, let's kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before the other one is born. If we're going to kill one of them, it doesn't matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms.
The lady was horrified and said: 'No doctor! How terrible! It's a crime to kill a child!
'I agree', the doctor replied. 'But you seemed to be OK with it, so I thought maybe that was the best solution.'
The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point.
He convinced the mom that there is no difference in killing a child that's already been born and one that's still in the womb.
-unkown
'Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not even 1 year old and I'm pregnant again. I don't want kids so close together.
So the doctor said: 'Ok and what do you want me to do?'
She said: 'I want you to end my pregnancy, and I'm counting on your help with this.'
The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady: 'I think I have a better solution for your problem. It's less dangerous for you too.'
She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request.
Then he continued: 'You see, in order for you not to have to take care 2 babies at the same time, let's kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before the other one is born. If we're going to kill one of them, it doesn't matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms.
The lady was horrified and said: 'No doctor! How terrible! It's a crime to kill a child!
'I agree', the doctor replied. 'But you seemed to be OK with it, so I thought maybe that was the best solution.'
The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point.
He convinced the mom that there is no difference in killing a child that's already been born and one that's still in the womb.
-unkown
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