Financial Wisdom from the Wisest Man Who Ever Lived (Part 1)

Today we are going to be looking at the wisdom of Solomon regarding good money management. 

Over the coming weeks, we are going to look at a number of the wealth management principles he shared. If you apply these money management principles, you be successful. 

King Solomon had huge shoes to fill.

His father was David. David was a mighty man of God. As a teenage boy, he slayed Goliath. He became King. He was a warrior, brilliant musician, and was known as a man after God’s own heart. 

One day King Solomon had an encounter with God.

We are told “At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” (1 Kings 3:5)

If God promised to give you anything in this life, what would you ask for?

Would you ask for wealth, good health, long life, favor, or success? I know what I would like…

But do you know what Solomon asked for?

He could have asked for anything, yet he asked God, “Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong.” (1 Kings 3:9)

He basically asked God for wisdom so that he could be a good King and lead God’s people well.

We are told that “The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom.” (1 Kings 3:10)

And God told Solomon, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies— I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.” (1 Kings 3:11-14)

God gave Solomon great wisdom and an understanding heart.

God said that Solomon’s wisdom would be greater than anyone else who will ever live. Thank God Solomon wrote down his wisdom! Not only did God give Solomon incredible insight to lead his people, but He also gave Solomon perspective on how to live a good long life and gave him secret insights into wealth and success. 

And Solomon made a huge impact on his nation. Besides building an incredible temple for God, he was an incredible leader who set his people up to live in peace, prosperity, and security. In fact, every one of his people was financially secure! 

How do I know this? 

Well, we are told, “The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They were very contented, with plenty to eat and drink.” (1 Kings 4:20)

And again, “During the lifetime of Solomon, all of Judah and Israel lived in peace and safety. And from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, each family had its own home and garden.” (1 Kings 4:25)

Isn’t it amazing?

Solomon’s wisdom brought “peace and security” and “each family had their own home and a garden” where they could live, raise their families, and have a space to plant crops and farm a few animals to ensure they could provide for their loved ones.

“And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.” (1 Kings 4:34)

When you look at the chaos and insecurity in the world today, we sure need the wisdom of Solomon now more than ever before if we want to see our people who are living in poverty prosper.

I am so grateful that God got Solomon to write down his wisdom and include this in the Bible so that we can apply it to our lives.

Solomon wrote 3 of the 66 books in the Bible and features in many others too.

So let us look at a few principles that King Solomon has given us when it comes to Money Management: 

1. Dare to Dream

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12)

Dare to dream. Aim high. Lift the lid. Attempt great things. 

Don’t let your past hurts stop you from dreaming. God has a plan for your life, and it’s a good plan to give you hope and a future. So, let go of your disappointments and distractions. 

Start dreaming again. 

2. Have a Vision

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18 KJV)

If you don’t have a vision for the future, you will just drift aimlessly and run wild. 

Before you build a home, you need to envision it in your mind. Only once you have a mental picture can you start creating a sketch. An architect can only then create a plan. And only once you have the plan can you start building. But it all starts with a vision. 

What are your hopes for the future? 

Do you have a vision for the future? 

Where are you now? 

What would you like to achieve? 

You need a vision. 

3. Plan Well

“Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5 NLT)

In other words, if you… 

• Are diligent and plan carefully
• Work smart and hard
• Are disciplined with your money management.

…you will prosper.

But if you…

• Don’t have a plan and take easy shortcuts
• Are lazy and make poor decisions with your money management

…you will more than likely fail.   

Do you have a plan? 

4. Trust God

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

“Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.” (Proverbs 11:28)

Don’t put your trust in money, put your trust in God! Let God be your source and the center of your life. God wants you to be fruitful. 

Are you living an independent life? God wants you to bother him with your problems.

You don’t have to face life alone. You can invite Jesus to be the center. You can put your trust in him. He knows what is happening. He knows what you need. He knows what is best. So put your hope and faith in God. 

Do you have a personal relationship with God? 

It is available through Jesus. 

Are you trusting God?

If you want to start or restart your walk with God, click here to pray a simple prayer we have set up for you.

Today we have looked at 4 principles that you can apply to your money management, as given to us by the wisest man who has ever lived…

• Dare to dream
• Have a vision
• Plan well
• Trust God

If you apply this wisdom, you will set yourself up for a brighter future. 

If you have a dream, you will build hope for the future. Let your dream become your vision, and you will have something to focus on achieving. If you then set up a plan, you will have a step-by-step process to follow that will take you towards achieving your dream. And you do not need to go after your dreams alone, you can trust God because he is interested in you, and he wants to lead you to a fruitful outcome. 

Next week we will continue in the series and look at a few life-changing financial principles shared by the wisest man who ever lived.