And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore.
--1 Kings 4:29 (NKJV)
From the daily Bible reading on June 7, 2013 of Psalm 105:37-41; 2 Corinthians 1; 1 Kings 3:16-5:12.
God appeared to King Solomon in a dream and asked what the king desired that God might give him. Solomon replied that he would only want "an understanding heart" to judge the Lord's people, so that he could "discern between good and evil". Solomon could have asked for long life or great riches, but instead he only wished for wisdom, that he might be a fair and capable ruler over God's people. This pleased the Lord, so He granted Solomon "a wise and understanding heart". In addition, God gave Solomon what he didn't ask for, riches and honor, so that he would be unique among all the kings and none would be like him. Solomon's reputation soon spread throughout the region as the people respected him because they saw that "the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice" (please reference 1 Kings 3:5-28).
Solomon readily admitted that his gift for discernment when judging the people came from God. Probably his most well known and often quoted declaration of this is found in his introduction to the book of Proverbs, when he states, "The fear of the Lord", or a respect and reverence for God as expressed in our submission to His will, "is the beginning of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7). Wisdom springs from that knowledge and understanding, and it all starts by submitting to God's will, by obeying His word.
Like Solomon, we should not ask God for great riches or any material things of this world for ourselves, but should pray that He give us discernment into His will for us. Most of us struggle with this very question: what would God have us, as individuals, do? Yes, we all know that we should obey His commandments as given by His holy word in our Bible. And we know we should follow Jesus' command to love each other and His commission to spread the Gospel throughout the world. But what many of us don't know is how God wants us personally to do these things. Which path should we follow when both could serve Him? Where will our walk take us if we choose this over that? How can we best express our submission to God's will if we are unsure exactly what that will is? Even those who know what their mission for God is still sometimes get conflicted with questions such as whether to stay the course or to move on. If to stay put, does something need to change? If to move, to where? And each answer, each decision, can lead to yet another question. Solomon gave us the example to follow. Ask God for discernment of His will, for an understanding heart that we might fairly judge ourselves and properly rule over our own lives. Then watch as the Lord not only gives us understanding, but much more as well. Amen.
Generous God, thank You for all the blessings You pour out on us daily! But Lord, even with all these gifts, we seek one more, that You please give us a clearer understanding into Your will for us. Please, Father, give us a wise and understanding heart, that we might better submit to Your will and serve You in the way You intended when You made us. In Jesus' holy name we pray. Amen.
Solomon readily admitted that his gift for discernment when judging the people came from God. Probably his most well known and often quoted declaration of this is found in his introduction to the book of Proverbs, when he states, "The fear of the Lord", or a respect and reverence for God as expressed in our submission to His will, "is the beginning of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7). Wisdom springs from that knowledge and understanding, and it all starts by submitting to God's will, by obeying His word.
Like Solomon, we should not ask God for great riches or any material things of this world for ourselves, but should pray that He give us discernment into His will for us. Most of us struggle with this very question: what would God have us, as individuals, do? Yes, we all know that we should obey His commandments as given by His holy word in our Bible. And we know we should follow Jesus' command to love each other and His commission to spread the Gospel throughout the world. But what many of us don't know is how God wants us personally to do these things. Which path should we follow when both could serve Him? Where will our walk take us if we choose this over that? How can we best express our submission to God's will if we are unsure exactly what that will is? Even those who know what their mission for God is still sometimes get conflicted with questions such as whether to stay the course or to move on. If to stay put, does something need to change? If to move, to where? And each answer, each decision, can lead to yet another question. Solomon gave us the example to follow. Ask God for discernment of His will, for an understanding heart that we might fairly judge ourselves and properly rule over our own lives. Then watch as the Lord not only gives us understanding, but much more as well. Amen.
Generous God, thank You for all the blessings You pour out on us daily! But Lord, even with all these gifts, we seek one more, that You please give us a clearer understanding into Your will for us. Please, Father, give us a wise and understanding heart, that we might better submit to Your will and serve You in the way You intended when You made us. In Jesus' holy name we pray. Amen.
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