"They ate, they drank and they were happy." Sound like the last line of a fairy tale?

It was no fairy tale. This was said of the Israelites soon after Solomon became king (1 Kings 4:20). There was peace and prosperity.

What was happening in Israel at the time could only be duplicated by two other occasions: the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8-15) and the promised reign of Jesus Christ yet to come (Revelation 20:4).

So what was going on during Solomon's reign? Why were times so good?

Solomon was a wise king, but it was neither his genius nor his political prowess that made the country so great. It was Almighty God's blessing. The blessing came because Solomon's father, David, was a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22).

The time spoken of in 1 Kings 4, when there was peace and prosperity and the people were happy, could only be described as revival. The people were enjoying God's blessing because of David's wholehearted efforts to glorify God.

God's desire is to bless His people. God wants true peace and true prosperity to be the rule, not the exception.

Why is what is spoken of in Solomon's early reign so rare?

It is because we lack the heart of David.

David had humble beginnings, and he knew it. David was seeking God when he was at the bottom of life's circumstances.

He was the youngest of eight brothers and was assigned the lonely vigil of watching his father's sheep. David developed a relationship with God and a dependence on God during his early days that stayed with him all through his life (1 Samuel 17:34-37).

David was anointed king long before he became king (1 Samuel 16:13). His heart was revealed in how he waited on God's timing for him to ascend the throne.

David served King Saul through much adversity, protecting him even when Saul's intent was to kill David. David had the power and the opportunity to snuff out Saul's life (1 Samuel 24:11, 26:7-25), but he honored God each time by waiting on God.

When David finally became king, he became known as a king who sought God's heart (2 Samuel 2:1). His great desire was to honor God above everything.

David did stumble in his life. He did some terrible things, but he repented and cast himself continually on God's mercy, continuing to seek after God.

That's why there is hope for us. God does not like hatred and division. Those things are the work of Satan and of man following the wicked desires in his heart.

True peace and true prosperity will not come by any means other than the blessing of God. Political maneuvering, military power plays, or government programs will never bring what only God can produce.

So what do we do? We do what God told the exiles in Babylon to do in Jeremiah 29. We live in a God-honoring way. We seek the peace and prosperity of the place where we are.

God is bigger than economic hard times and political chaos. God can and will show Himself strong in the most difficult circumstances for those whose hearts are fully committed to Him (2 Chronicles 16:9).

Revival is born of adversity. The blessing of God can rise from the ashes and restore us to peace and prosperity. God is on the throne. Jesus Christ is still seeking those who are lost and cannot find their way (Luke 19:10).

"They ate, they drank and they were happy." It is possible; let's go for it!