I Am But A Little Child

⏱️ 5 minutes.

Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.
— 1 Kings 3:7

This is Solomon’s prayer immediately following his ascension to the throne — offered right before his famous prayer for wisdom from God.

While it is most common to focus solely on Solomon’s prayer for wisdom to govern the people of God, there are very interesting details in how Solomon prefaces that prayer. The precursor to it is Solomon recognizing his own royalty, weakness, and need for God. Right before he asks for wisdom, he identifies that he is yet but a little child and does not know how to go out or come in.

We see that even David had identified Solomon’s inexperience. We read in the book of Chronicles how David time and again acknowledged Solomon’s weakness and inexperience, and thus tried to prepare everything for him as he ascended to the throne.

It is far more common for kings to think of themselves as high and mighty, given all the authority they hold over a kingdom. A position of power will almost always elevate one’s pride, causing a person to see themselves as completely adequate and self-sufficient — needing no help from anyone else.

But this is not what we see in Solomon. In this prayer, the character of Solomon is revealed as one filled with humility and vulnerability.

An Attitude of Gratitude

First, we notice that Solomon has an attitude of gratitude. He identifies that the task the Lord has given him — to become king — is no ordinary or mundane task.

This is sometimes where we stumble first — simply recognizing that all we have received, whether in the form of power, authority, or even material possessions, comes from God Himself.

Solomon understood that he was not king simply because he was qualified, or because he had worked it out for himself. Rather, he understood that his rise to power was a direct result of God’s blessing and grace upon him.

We too need to continually come to the place of recognizing that everything we have, we owe to God — that it is not because of our own hard work that we get what we have, but because of His everlasting grace. Paul makes this point clearly to the Corinthians:

What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
— 1 Corinthians 4:7

This should mark our prayers as we come to God. Our prayers should always be saturated with gratitude for all the things He continues to bless us with.

Acknowledging Weakness

Next, we notice that Solomon identifies his own weakness — and immediately after doing so, he brings it before God.

This is the part where our ego so often gets in the way. Solomon identifies himself as a servant, acknowledges that this role has been given to him, and then honestly confesses that he does not have what it takes to do what is required.

This is the nature of every task the Lord gives to us. We should first understand that we are not in a position to accomplish the task as it needs to be accomplished, because of our finitude and fallen nature. What the Lord desires and requires from us instead is that we wholly depend on Him to help us accomplish what is before us.

This is how Paul could write to the Philippians:

I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
— Philippians 4:11-13

Acknowledging our weaknesses and bringing them to God is our way of demonstrating our full and total dependence upon Him. This is how it is meant to be. We should not be deluded into thinking that we have what it takes. Instead, in all things, we should run to Him for help.

Paul again writes to the Philippians:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
— Philippians 4:6-7

Conclusion

Just as Solomon identified and acknowledged that the good things he received came from God, and recognized that the magnitude and grandeur of the task before him was too great for his own finitude and smallness — and then brought all of it to the feet of God — so too should we be a people who understands that everything we have has been received from God. We do not have what it takes to perfectly accomplish the tasks given to us, and we need His everlasting grace, mercy, and strength in order to do so.

This is what will make our prayers both joyful and plentiful — because we move away from merely demanding things from God, and instead approach Him with gratitude, reverence, and complete dependence upon Him.