Liz Curtis Higgs has written more than 30 books and spoken at women's conferences around the world. Her goal is “to help women embrace the grace of God with joy and abandon.” Through extensive research, a thorough grasp of the Bible, a delightful sense of humor and her unique talent for combining all three, I'm sure she has achieved her goal many times over. I Kings 10:1-13 is the basis for Sheba's story. Although a very tiny portion of scripture, the author has expanded it into a study full of facts, inspiration and lessons for life.

While Hollywood and various writers have sometimes turned the tale of King Solomon and the queen of Sheba into a sensationalized “lust” story, Higgs prefers to stick to the original version. As portrayed in I Kings, the king and queen shared a visit based on mutual admiration and respect, which resulted in the queen becoming a believer in the God of Israel. The lessons that Higgs parses from this visit are indeed much more important than simply another cheap romance.

"Whether for a group study or an individual devotional, IT'S GOOD TO BE QUEEN will be a blessing."

Each chapter begins with a journal entry written by Sheba, expressing her thoughts concerning what is about to happen next in her venture. These entries coincide with the portion of scripture that is expanded upon throughout the chapter. As she sets out from Sheba, an area that is now known as Yemen, she is eager to meet the man everyone is talking about, King Solomon. Her desire to question him and learn what is behind his great wisdom, wealth and success motivates her to begin the 1,500-mile journey to Jerusalem. It meant traveling by camel across the Arabian desert, Jordan and Canaan without a McDonald's in sight --- not to mention that wild animals and cobras prevented a peaceful night's sleep.

As the author quotes I Kings 10:2 ...“with a great caravan”...she goes on to describe what the caravan looked, felt and smelled like. Upon the hundreds of camels were treasures from Sheba, rare spices that were worth even more than the gold she brought to offer Solomon. In addition were the supplies needed for the long journey, which included all the beautifying skin products needed by Sheba and her entourage. “...our ancient sisters were all about beautifying the body, often traveling with chests holding two dozen or more granite jars full of ointments.”

When Sheba arrives in Jerusalem, she is warmly received by King Solomon, who is eager to talk with this strong, determined woman. He gives her the freedom to ask any and all of the questions that she has. And she has many. Among the most important are the ones concerning his God. Her culture included the worship of many gods, and she wanted to know why the wisest of all men worshiped only one. “She needed to be convinced that Solomon was wise, that his God was real.”

The chapters focus on the characteristics that are “good” just as in “it's good to be queen.“ For example, in challenging the king to answer her many questions and assuage her skepticism, we learn “It's Good to be Bold.” As meetings between the royal pair continue, we learn “It's Good to be Open,” “It's Good to Give Generously” and “It's Good to Receive Graciously.” Each chapter is rich with quotes and resources enhancing the topic.

There are actually two study guides at the back of the book. If the book is to be discussed in a single session, there is a list of 10 discussion questions. For multiple sessions, there is an in-depth guide that leads through each chapter. Whether for a group study or an individual devotional, IT'S GOOD TO BE QUEEN will be a blessing.