The book of 2 Chronicles begins with the story of how King Solomon gained abundant wisdom, and it boils down to the fact that he demonstrated humility before the Lord. After Solomon inherited the throne from his father David, God offered him anything he wanted, and he modestly asked for wisdom and knowledge to rule his people.

Solomon was so wise that 1 Kings 4 says that he was second to none. “Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt” (v. 30, NIV). He penned more than 1,000 songs and 3,000 proverbs (v. 32). He was an expert in biology and botany (v. 33). Rulers from all over the world flocked to him to glean his insight (v. 34).

The author of 1 Kings described Solomon’s wisdom as being even greater than that of Ethan the Ezrahite. Who was this Ethan the Also-Ran? He must have been pretty amazing to come in second place to the wisest man in history! Flip over to the book of Psalms and check out the author for No. 89: yep, same guy. Ethan was a man who obviously loved the Lord and was not lacking in wisdom, in his own right. He ended up not being as famous as Solomon, by any stretch, but he still made an impact on the world.

I hate to break it to you, but we can’t all be President of the United States, walk the red carpet, play professional sports or fly space missions. A very, very select few have the privilege to work in those roles. The rest of us – let’s face it – are Also-Rans like Ethan. Does that mean we should give up on our dreams? Of course not! Does it mean that our life’s work is invalid? Of course not! Consider what Ethan wrote in Psalm 89:14-16:

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness” (NIV).

What better achievement could we aim for in life than to walk in the light of the Lord’s presence? When we seek him first above all else, his favor becomes our glory and strength (v. 17).