The Wisdom That Made a Queen Open Up

Hi Friends! I hope you had a wonderful summer?

This morning , I was reminded that summer break was over and reminded to continue sharing my devotion aha moments. I just read 2 Chronicles 9, the story of the Queen of Sheba visiting Solomon. And honestly, while reading it, I felt like God kept pausing me and saying:

“Abiola, there are leadership lessons here I need you to see.”

And I thought to share them with you too.

Before we even get to the Queen of Sheba, we have to go back a little.

After David passed the kingdom to Solomon, Solomon followed the ways of his father. He was a man whose heart genuinely reverenced God at the onset before women saga.

One thing that stood out to me again was the posture of Solomon’s heart.

When he became king, he offered a great sacrifice unto God. And God appeared to him and asked him a powerful question:

“What do you want Me to give you?”

And Solomon’s response tells us everything about his mindset.

He did not ask for:

the death of his enemies,

wealth,

revenge,

or fame.

Instead, he asked for wisdom.

Wisdom to lead.
Wisdom to steward people.
Wisdom to navigate a new season.

And God was so pleased that He gave Solomon not only wisdom, but also wealth, influence, and honor beyond measure.

By the time we arrive at 2 Chronicles 9, Solomon’s fame had spread across nations.

Kings and queens were traveling just to encounter his wisdom.

And then came the Queen of Sheba.

Now this was not an ordinary woman.

She came with:

wealth,

influence,

confidence,

and difficult questions.

The Bible says she came to test Solomon with hard questions.

And honestly, I like her already.

Because she didn’t just accept public opinion. She wanted to see for herself.

But this is the part that really stayed with me.

The Bible says:

“She spoke with him about everything that was on her mind.”

Everything.

And I paused there.

Because I began asking myself:

How does a queen become comfortable enough to open up completely to someone she just met?

What kind of atmosphere did Solomon create?

What kind of posture did he carry?

Lesson One: Emotional Intelligence

This was the first thing God highlighted to me.

Solomon clearly had a high level of emotional intelligence.

Because people do not open up deeply unless they feel:

safe,

heard,

respected,

and understood.

Which means Solomon must have:

listened carefully,

responded wisely,

avoided reacting emotionally,

and paid attention to the room.

The Queen of Sheba did not feel judged.
She felt understood.

And God quietly nudged me:

“Abiola, this is a skill you need to develop more.”

To:

listen without interrupting,

respond thoughtfully,

read the room,

and create spaces where people feel heard.

Honestly, that part convicted me a lot.

Lesson Two: Executive Presence

The Queen of Sheba was also deeply impressed by Solomon’s environment.

Not just his words…
His systems.

His organization.
His culture.
His people.

The Bible talks about:

the arrangement of his officials,

the appearance of his servants,

the order in the palace,

the excellence surrounding him.

Nothing felt chaotic.

Everything reflected intentionality.

And in today’s language, God was showing me this:

Executive presence is not pride.
It is stewardship.

It is:

carrying yourself with calm confidence,

showing up prepared,

creating stable environments,

communicating clearly,

and building systems that support excellence.

Lesson Three: Systems Thinking

Another thing the Queen noticed was that Solomon’s kingdom had structure.

Everybody knew:

their role,

their timing,

their responsibility.

Nothing looked scattered.

And this hit me personally because God began reminding me:

Delegate more.

Build workflows.

Document systems.

Clarify expectations.

Create follow-up structures.

Because wisdom is not just spiritual.
Wisdom also shows up in organization.

Lesson Four: Wisdom in Communication

And finally, Solomon knew how to handle difficult conversations.

The Queen came with hard questions.

But Solomon did not respond with ego.

He responded with wisdom.

He explained complex things clearly.
He listened before answering.
He understood her perspective before responding.

And honestly… that is leadership.

Not just speaking well.
But communicating with wisdom and understanding.

As I sat there this morning, I realized something:

God wants His wisdom to reflect not only in our prayer life…
but also in:

how we listen,

how we lead,

how we organize,

how we communicate,

and how we make others feel around us.

And while I am still actively growing in these areas, I felt led to share this because maybe someone else is also in a season where God is refining not just their spirituality… but their leadership.

Lord, help us to grow in wisdom.
Teach us how to listen well.
Teach us emotional intelligence.
Teach us how to steward people, systems, and opportunities with excellence.

May Your wisdom reflect in every area of our lives.

Amen.

God bless you, friends.
And maybe today… pause and ask yourself:

What kind of atmosphere do people experience around me?