If you need/desire wisdom keep reading. If you know it all then you don't have to. (1 Kings 3:4-4:34)
"Ask for whatever you want me to give you." - God (1 Kings 3:5)
This was a statement God spoke to Solomon. It was a promise actually. Solomon, a new king of all of Israel, was given the chance to ask for anything in the world that he wanted and it would be given to him. This was a chance to expand his human kingdom, to grow his power, to increase his wealth, to ensure victory in every battle (or for no battles at all), even to fulfill any or every desire of his human (sinful) heart. But he doesn't ask for any of these things. He looks at where he is in life (the king of a nation) and instead of being arrogant, instead of looking at this as his kingdom, instead of thinking he knows what he is doing, instead of believing his position automatically qualifies him to do the job well Solomon does something unexpected. He humbles himself, acknowledges his inadequacies, his lack of understanding, his inabilities, his short comings, he reveals the limitations he knows he has that will prevent him from doing the job to the fully Glory of his God. What his answer actually reveals is the foundation, the condition, that the heart needs to have, needs to be in, in order for wisdom to be imparted, to take root and to thrive. He did not ask for wisdom so that he could gain fame, wealth, or prestige, he did not ask for wisdom to propel his own agenda or build his own kingdom but he asked for a discerning heart in order to serve the Lord and the Lord's people the way God wanted him to.
God graciously answered. Not only did God also give Solomon riches and honor as well as peace but God gave him wisdom beyond what he asked for, "He (Solomon) spoke 3000 proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon the the hyssop that grows out the walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish" 1 Kings 4:32-33. God gave Solomon wisdom that extended beyond what he had sought or could have even imagined. God was then able to use it to build His Own Kingdom through Solomon. God was able to be glorified.
"Ask for whatever you want me to give you." - God (1 Kings 3:5) Your answer will reveal much about your heart.
You can find over 100 verses in the bible that speak about asking God for things. He tells us, invites us, to do just that. The best answer to God's questions in 1 Kings is still Solomon's, to seek wisdom. "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and IT WILL be given to you." James 1:5 Who is without fault? Who is able to gain this wisdom that God promises? Those of us who humbly approach the throne of grace admitting our sin, our short comings, our weakness and seek the blood of Jesus Christ to cleans our hearts from impurities and pride. God reminds us that the heart we need to have when we seek to give our answer is a humble heart that sees, acknowledges and admits it limitations and weaknesses, not one that is bent on our own wants, leans on our own understanding or one that harbors any glimpse of pride.
We all need wisdom and we all need to start with a humble heart. We are warned in Romans 12:3 to not think more highly of ourselves than we ought, we are warned to not let pride blind us into thinking we know more than we do or that we are better, more able or wiser than others.
So we need to start by asking God to humble our hearts and reveal any pride that hinders us. We need to seek a humble heart.
Solomon humbly asked for specific wisdom and God gave it to him and then some. So what does a humble heart that seeks wisdom look like for us? What specific wisdom can we ask God for that we lack? Here are just some examples that I have been thinking of.
Wisdom to know how to love others, both those who love me and those who don't.
Wisdom to know how to live in peace with those who seem opposed to it.
Wisdom to understand those who are different than I am.
Wisdom to know how to live with those who think differently or believe things different than I do.
Wisdom to understand circumstance that don't make sense to me.
Wisdom to discern truth even when I think I already know it.
Wisdom to see beyond what I think I know and to see clearly what you, Lord, know.
Wisdom to see others as you do and then to have a heart to love them, support them, and encourage them as you do.
Wisdom to know when to hold my tongue and listen and when to speak.
Wisdom to know what to say when the time is right to speak.
Wisdom to see the faults in myself before seeking the faults and flaws in others.
Wisdom to know your word clearly.
Wisdom to then know how to apply and practice your word in my own life rather than using it as a measuring tool against others.
Wisdom to gain clarity when I find myself at the opposites end of a situation from others.
Wisdom to lead our families, churches, communities and nation as God sees fit and understands.
Wisdom to see what God might be doing in my life as well as in the life of others.
Wisdom to do things according to God's will and plan and not my own.
Wisdom to know how to practice patience when the wait seems unbearable.
Wisdom to know how to turn the other cheek
Wisdom to know how to live out the fullness of the Gospel as Christ did.
Let us strive for humble hearts then to seek wisdom and not think we already have enough. Let us use the wisdom God imparts to live in love, unity and peace and for the Glory of God to be seen through us.
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