1 KINGS 10:6-7: Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about
your words and your wisdom. However I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own
eyes; and indeed the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I
heard.”
Since my early school days I had read about the Grand Canyon. I knew that it ranges from 4 to 18
miles in width and more than a mile deep in places. Perhaps the most impressive part is a 56-milelong stretch within the Grand Canyon National Park.
I had even see photos showing the beautiful colors that stripe the canyon walls. Yet nothing that I
read or saw in a book prepared me for the awesome experience of standing on the canyon’s edge
and seeing for myself the majestic beauty of this natural wonder.
The Bible says the queen of Sheba had the same response when she met Solomon. Sheba was a
land hundreds of miles away in an area now called Yemen, but this queen had heard stories about
Israel’s king. The tales told her were sufficiently intriguing to propel her to make the difficult journey to
see Solomon for herself. Yet when she actually stood in the presence of Israel’s king, she confessed,
“The half was not told me.”
The same is true for Christians. God’s Word speaks of the glorious future that awaits us, yet it also
indicates that the half is still to be told. Paul says, “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear
heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love
Him'” (1 Cor. 2:9).
Perhaps you’re going through a time of loss and grief right now. Maybe you’re feeling lonely and
unhappy. Let me encourage you to lift up your head, turn your thoughts away from your present grief
and gaze at what God has in store for you. When you stand face-to-face with Jesus, your current
distresses will fade away instantly. It will be worth it all when you see Christ.
TRUE REALITY IS NOT FOUND IN TODAY’S SORROWS BUT IN TOMORROW’S JOYS.