Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours? 1st Kings 3:9
If God appeared to you in a dream and invited you to ask Him for anything, what would you ask for? Maybe you would ask for a need to be met, or for success in your marriage or career. Maybe you, like me, would need at least a day to think about what you would ask for. This was the exact situation that Solomon found himself in. God appeared to Him in a dream one night and invited him to ask for anything, and He would give it to him. His request honored God and serves as an example for each one of us to follow.
1st Kings 3 records Solomon’s dream where God invited him to ask for whatever he wanted. At this point, Solomon had established his reign as king after the death of his father, King David. Scripture tells us that “Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David” (verse 3). One night, this passage of Scripture tells us, God appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you” (verse 5). What a remarkable moment for Solomon! He could have asked God for anything! He could have asked for fame, wealth, or anything else he desired. His response was different from what most would have expected. This was his request: “Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?” (verse 9). Of all of the things that Solomon could have asked for, he asked God to give him “an understanding heart,” or wisdom, so that he could be a good king and lead God’s people well. This request required humility. Solomon understood the great task of leading God’s people, and he knew he needed help. He understood that he needed wisdom. Scripture teaches that God honored Solomon’s request, saying, “Because you have asked for wisdom…I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life!” (verses 11-13).
The lesson we can learn from Solomon in this passage of Scripture is two-fold. First, wisdom is invaluable. It is more valuable than wealth, fame, and any other thing on this earth that we could ask for. Imagine if we valued wisdom as Solomon did today! The second lesson to learn from Solomon in this passage of Scripture is that we can ask God for wisdom. New Testament author James reaffirms this truth in James 1, when he writes, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God” (verse 5a). If we need wisdom, and we all do, we are invited to ask God for the wisdom we desperately need. What a generous God that we serve!
God has offered the invitation to ask Him for wisdom in Scripture. Our call is to accept that invitation. Let’s ask God to give us wisdom in all areas of our lives. Remember, this wisdom is more valuable than popularity, riches, and anything else on earth that we could ask God for!
In what area of your life do you specifically need God’s wisdom? Maybe it is in parenting, in your career, in a relationship, or somewhere else. Whatever area it is that you need God’s wisdom, ask God for it today. Tell Him you need wisdom in that area and why. How incredible that God offers us the invitation to ask Him for wisdom when we desperately need it!
“God, I need wisdom, guide me…”
1 Kings 3:1-15
1 Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and married one of his daughters. He brought her to live in the City of David until he could finish building his palace and the Temple of the Lord and the wall around the city. 2 At that time the people of Israel sacrificed their offerings at local places of worship, for a temple honoring the name of the Lord had not yet been built.
3 Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local places of worship. 4 The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings. 5 That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”
6 Solomon replied, “You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne.
7 “Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. 8 And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! 9 Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”
10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. 11 So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies— 12 I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! 13 And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! 14 And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”
15 Then Solomon woke up and realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem and stood before the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, where he sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he invited all his officials to a great banquet.
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