At our Wednesday night services, we have been studying proverbs. It has been a great learning opportunity as we have focused on gaining wisdom and the importance of wisdom. After a conversation with a very faithful Christian Man, I decided to check out the passage of the bible where King Solomon requests wisdom from God.
I Kings 3:1-15
1Solomon signed a treaty with the king of Egypt and married his daughter. She lived in the older part of Jerusalem [a] until the palace, the LORD's temple, and the wall around Jerusalem were completed. 2At that time, there was no temple for worshiping the LORD, and everyone offered sacrifices at the local shrines. [b] 3Solomon loved the LORD and followed his father David's instructions, but Solomon also offered sacrifices and burned incense at the shrines. 4The most important shrine was in Gibeon, and Solomon had offered more than a thousand sacrifices on that altar.
5One night while Solomon was in Gibeon, the LORD God appeared to him in a dream and said, "Solomon, ask for anything you want, and I will give it to you."
6Solomon answered:
My father David, your servant, was honest and did what you commanded. You were always loyal to him, and you gave him a son who is now king. 7LORD God, I'm your servant, and you've made me king in my father's place. But I'm very young and know so little about being a leader. 8And now I must rule your chosen people, even though there are too many of them to count.
9Please make me wise and teach me the difference between right and wrong. Then I will know how to rule your people. If you don't, there is no way I could rule this great nation of yours.
10-11God said:
Solomon, I'm pleased that you asked for this. You could have asked to live a long time or to be rich. Or you could have asked for your enemies to be destroyed. Instead, you asked for wisdom to make right decisions. 12So I'll make you wiser than anyone who has ever lived or ever will live.
13I'll also give you what you didn't ask for. You'll be rich and respected as long as you live, and you'll be greater than any other king. 14If you obey me and follow my commands, as your father David did, I'll let you live a long time.
15Solomon woke up and realized that God had spoken to him in the dream. He went back to Jerusalem and stood in front of the sacred chest, where he offered sacrifices to please the Lord [c] and sacrifices to ask his blessing. [d] Then Solomon gave a feast for his officials.
Although I find this passage interesting in many ways, I find it especially unique in a couple aspects. First, King Solomon had already built a relationship with God and was striving to find the Lord's role in his life. The scripture does not specifically say that King Solomon was having a hard time as a leader, but from his comments regarding his youth and lack of leadership skills, we can gather that he was at the very least worried about not doing a good job for the people and God. He doubted himself, but knew that he could trust God's judgement. Do we honestly look for God's leading in our life or do we try to lead ourselves and hope that God comes along with us? Do we honestly evaluate our own skills and look to God for help?
King Solomon did not ask to be the smartest man in the world or the first Bill Gates. He asked to have wisdom to teach him right from wrong so that he could lead God's people. He didn't pray to God for something for himself. The gift that he requested was so that he could fulfill his work for God. Do we ask for the same things in our prayers? I've often heard that you can't pray to God and request a new corvette. However, if the corvette was needed so that I could use it to do God's will then, I have no doubt that I wouldn't get it. Now, that being said, I don't think God's going to give me a corvette when the chevette will work just as well for what he has called me to do.
I am a firm believer that God can grants us all gifts or "special abilities." I think we tend to under value the importance of some of those gifts. I'm sure that many of the people surrounding King Solomon did not see his Wisdom as some kind of super power that God had granted him. King Solomon probably did not evaluate himself as a super hero, but make no mistake God's gifts are super natural and have the power to change not only your own life but those around you. We may not be able to ask God for a specific "gift" or "power," but I think there is no doubt that God give us all something to use for his will. It may be acceptional kindness to others, a heart for service, or like Aunt Marthie used to say "God's got to call somebody to mop the stage, it might as well be you." It may not seem like much but do not under value God's gift and do not mistake that it was your talent, hardwork, or that you just happen to be the one kid in Sunday School the Sunday that the preacher spilled his coffee on the stage. God has a purpose for you and you are meant to use your gift.
(By the way, Thanks to Aunt Marthie, I am a great mopper:)
