Day 22 — The Queen Who Asked Questions

“Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions.”

— 1 Kings 10:1 (BSB)

“Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness.”

— 1 Kings 10:9 (BSB)

Far away from Israel, in a land called Sheba, there lived a powerful and wealthy queen. She had heard amazing stories about King Solomon, how wise he was and how great his God was.

But she didn’t just believe the stories. She wanted to find out for herself. So she traveled a long, long way, probably over a thousand miles, with a huge caravan of camels carrying spices, gold and precious stones. And when she arrived, she came “to test him with difficult questions.”

The queen of Sheba was curious. She was a thinker. She asked hard questions, and she wanted real answers.

And Solomon answered every single one. Nothing was too hard for him, because God had given him wisdom.

When the queen saw Solomon’s wisdom and everything God had done, she was amazed. She said, “The report I heard in my own country… is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes.” And then she praised Solomon’s God: “Blessed be the LORD your God.”

The queen of Sheba shows us something important about leadership: good leaders ask good questions. She didn’t pretend to know everything. She was humble enough to learn from someone else, and she went looking for the truth.

Many centuries later, Jesus mentioned this queen. He said she traveled from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon’s wisdom, “and now One greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:42). Jesus is wiser than Solomon! And we can bring our questions to Him.

Don’t be afraid to ask hard questions about God, the Bible and faith. God isn’t afraid of your questions. Asking questions is how you learn, and it’s how your faith grows strong.

Think about it: What’s a “difficult question” you have about God or the Bible? Who could you ask?

Try this: Write down one hard question you have about God. Ask a parent, pastor or leader about it this week, and look for the answer in the Bible together.

Dear God, thank You that I can bring my hardest questions to You. Help me be curious like the queen of Sheba, seeking the truth and learning from wise people. Most of all, help me learn from Jesus, who is wiser than Solomon. In Jesus’ name, Amen.