What Does God Call You?
“So king Solomon was king over all Israel. And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest, Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests: And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king’s friend: And Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute. And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision. ”
The fourth chapter of I Kings goes on for many more verses to tell us about the officers of Solomon. Obviously, the king had many people under his command. A position of such great power required many princes, officers, commanders, and servants. As we read through the chapter, we see many names (most unpronounceable, which is something coming from someone with the last name "Rongione"), and we also see many titles such as priest, recorder, principal officer, tribute officer, and so on. But my favorite part of the passage can be found at the end of verse 5: and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king's friend.
Sure, Solomon had many servants, but how many friends did he have? Was it possible for such a great man to have real friends? And if so, how could he know if someone was indeed his friend or if they had some ulterior motive? I'm sure being the king has many perks, but something tells me it can be very lonely at the top.
Still, in this list of name after name after name, God takes the time to point out that Zabud was not only the principal officer but that he was also a friend of the king. How awesome is that? First off, that Zabud was a true friend, and second, that God would make sure to note that fact in His Word which is forever settled. Sure, his service to the king was noteworthy as was all the others' mentioned here, but the thing that sets him apart from all the rest is that he was a friend of the king.
What about us? Are we set apart in the same way today? Are we friends of the King, or have we settled for the position of a servant? It is true we are servants of the Lord, and God does desire for each of us to have a servant's heart, but is that all God wants from us? Are we not also His children, the sheep of His pasture? Shouldn't we desire to be friends of God? Moses was granted such a title, and I pray that when God writes my story, He'll be able to say, "and Dana, the daughter of Lewis and Sharon, was a missionary to Wales and a writer of Christian works, but most of all, she was the King's friend." I can think of no greater honor!