The people of faith are compelled to please God. Yet, they know that pleasing God all the time is beyond their reach. But they do please God because they are trying to be what God wants them to be, and in doing so, God honors their sincerity and implements his grace so they are not without some measure of divine favor.
Although we seek it, divine favor is not earned but given to the sincere who prove themselves sincere in thought and action yet more by the condition of the heart because thought and actions can be amended throughout our whole life but sincerity is a more static condition. Among other definitions divine favor is the lovingkindness that God affords to all who sincerely love him and are both intrinsically reverent and strive to be humble in His sight.
Solomon loved God and was considered the wisest man on the earth. God gave Solomon a wisdom beyond all human wisdom, in full view of the people he served and the whole world; for even the Queen of the East said the half has not yet been told regarding the Wisdom of Solomon when she heard his counsel and saw the blessings and favor of God not only on him but also witnessed the happy state of the people in his kingdom.
In Proverbs 9:10 Solomon wrote that fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom. Fear in this context means reverence. Solomon had a reverence for the Wisdom of God. He valued it above all earthly learning and wisdom. Although he was a powerful king with vast resources and access to wise counsel he humbled himself and asked God for divine wisdom. Like his father David, he wanted a deep understanding of the written precepts and statutes and coveted spiritual insight only given given by the Holy Spirit. Solomon’s reverence and humility moved God to grant him a heavenly wisdom. In summary, reverence is the beginning of Wisdom. Wisdom is the beginning of humility. And humility is the beginning of favor. For which God will grant His favor to all who love him and are intrinsically reverent and strive to be humble in His sight.