Now, O lord my God, you have made
your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and
do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people
you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your
servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between
right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of
yours?
1 Kings 3:7-9
Footnote:
When given a chance to have anything in the
world, Solomon asked for wisdom -- "a discerning heart" -- in order to lead well
and to make right decisions. We can ask God for his same wisdom (James 1:5).
Notice that Solomon asked for discernment to carry out his job; he did not ask
God to do the job for him. We should not ask God to do for us what he wants to
do through us. Instead we should ask God to give us the wisdom to know what to
do and the courage to follow through on it.
Solomon asked for wisdom, not wealth, but God
gave him riches and long life as well. While God does not promise riches to
those who follow him, he gives us what we need if we put his kingdom, his
interests, and his principles first. Setting your sights on riches will only
leave you dissatisfied because even if you get the riches you crave, you will
still want something more. But if you put God and his work first, he will
satisfy your deepest needs.
Solomon received "a wise and discerning heart" from God, but it was up to Solomon to apply that wisdom to all areas of his life. Solomon was obviously wise in governing the nation, but he was foolish in running his household. Wisdom is both the ability to discern what is best and the strength of character to act upon that knowledge. While Solomon remained wise all his life, he did not always act upon his wisdom.
Keep reading -- 214 days left!
All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV
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