12-13-13. 1 Kings 3:1-15 A PRAYER FOR WISDOM-my devotional

Key Verse: 3:12        Kevin E. Jesmer

“behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you”

Dear Lord Jesus. Thank you for the time off today where I can wrap my mind and heart around the things that I love. Writing about your wisdom and your word is one of those things. I am excited to learn more about Solomon and his asking for wisdom. Help me to understand his heart and your desire to impart wisdom to your servants, that they may know you and love you more and serve you. Infuse your wisdom into my heart today. I thank you and I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Part 1: Pray For God’s Wisdom (1-9).

Verses 1-9, “Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord. 3 Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

God allows his leaders to mature and grow. Do we do the same thing? 1 Kings 3:1-5 read, ““Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord. 3 Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” Solomon loved God by following his father David’s instructions. However, he was vulnerable to following human convention like marrying for political reasons and offering sacrifices on the high places. He had made an alliance with Egypt and married Pharaoh’s daughter. He needed God’s help. Solomon was young spiritually. He even said, “although I am but a little child.” (7) He did show some signs of compromise in some life choices he made. But it seems that God was merciful to him and still upheld him as a David’s successor and the King of his people. He was going to work through Solomon to build the first Temple. God is graceful and he allows his leaders to mature and grow. God understands that there is a maturation process that must go on in a leader’s life.

Do we afford the same grace to our leaders? We usually hire a pastor if they fulfill a certain set of credentials. We hire them to teach certain things, in certain ways and deliver the same “goods”
to us every week. They must keep doing the same thing year after year and if they fail to deliver the goods, they get fired. We don’t allow our leaders to grow and mature in their faith and in their understanding of the gospel, in their delivery. We don’t necessarily respect the person as much as we respect the gospel package that we want delivered. Is that right? Can we allow our leaders to grow and mature? Can we bear their weaknesses and their immaturity as God matures them? Isn’t this what God was doing to with Solomon?

God respected Solomon as his servant. He came to him wanting to have a “heart to heart” discussion. One day, after making a large offering, the LORD appeared to him in a dream. God told Solomon to ask for anything. I like this. God was respecting Solomon’s choices. God wanted to know what he wanted. This is a wonderful characteristic of God. God wants to know what we want. He gives us choices. He respects our opinion. I thank God for his respect of his children. We must reflect this same quality in our dealings with others. I need to ask others opinions and know their desires…. and respect them. That is important.

Solomon might have asked for further security of his throne based on previous events. But the responsibilities of serving God as king were what really weighed heavily on Solomon’s heart… Look at verses 1 Kings 3:7-9 again, “And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” He asked for wisdom to rule God’s people. Solomon knew that the kingship was not simply a matter of personal well-being but serving God.

What would I say if God asked me what I want? At first thought, I would say, I want for me, my wife and my kids…1. a long life 2. good health 3. happiness 4. deep meaning in life 5. a fruitful mission in life that continued to bear fruit after we died 6. financial security 7. freedom to travel 8. lots of friends 9. closeness to family members 10. my kids to all be financially stable, marry well and get a good education 11. all of my kids to know and love and follow Jesus. These are good things but they are mostly self centered wants. They also have very little do with being a spiritual leader and serving the body of Christ. They are not on the same level as Solomon’s wants.

I need to elevate my desires to that of Solomon. I should realize that I in this world for more than just to live a comfortable, prosperous and secure life. But I am here to glorify God and to mentor others in the faith. I need offer people friendship and wise counsel. I need to point them in the right direction…to faith in Christ and to the Kingdom of God. I need wisdom on how to host “Art of Marriage” seminars, co-ordinate the sending of the missionaries to Northern Canada, to raise my kids, to be a good husband to my wife, to be a good church co-ordinator for Network of Nations, to write deep and inspiring daily devotionals, to post spiritual things on line. I need so much wisdom to stand up as a servant of Christ, as serve God’s purpose for me during my short life in this world.

Where can this wisdom come from? Of course there are all kinds of wisdom. Some of it is good. I have received much good advice even from atheists and adherents from other religions. But the wisdom that we need is Christ’s wisdom from above. It is the wisdom from God written in the Bible and revealed to us by the help of the Holy Spirit. James 3:17 reads, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”  God’s wisdom is different from humanity’s wisdom. Isaiah 55:8-9 reads, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” God’s wisdom has eternity in it’s sights. God’s ways are not of this world, they are of heaven. God’s ways are not the ways of security in this world but the ways of sacrifice. Love is the foundation of God’s wisdom. The wisdom of God is not about comfort and ease. It is about the way of the cross and the mission of God. If a person does not try to see things from God’s point of view and from his perspective, then they can never agree with, nor understand, nor benefit from the wisdom of God. The wisdom of God will seem foolish to them. But for those who know Christ, the wisdom of God is the well spring of life.

Part 2: God’s Blessing (10-15).

Verses 10-15, “It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. 14 And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” 15 And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.”

The LORD was pleased with Solomon’s request. God blessed Solomon with a discerning heart to govern. How do we get this wisdom? Ask for it like Solomon did. God will give you his spirit. He will imprint his wisdom on our hearts. He will not keep his wisdom from those who ask. He will start to build a foundation in your life so that you can one day begin to understand all that God wants to reveal to you.

There are blessings that come with wisdom. Look at 12b-14, “…Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. 14 And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” God said he would give Solomon wealth and long life. As long as Solomon followed God wholeheartedly, God would secure his throne. There are blessings that come from knowing and living by the wisdom of God. There is peace and inner strength. There is clear life direction. There are wise choices to be made, that will bless you and your future family for generations. We  must seek and depend on the wisdom of God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for equipping us with your wisdom. Let my heart’s desire be not for personal security only but to have wisdom in order to serve your mission in my life and to love others.

One Word: True wisdom comes from God.