Solomon

May 31

1 Kings 3:3-15

A wise choice

Solomon was king. He loved the Lord and tried to please Him in every way. One day he went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices there. That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, “What would you like me to give you?”

Solomon answered, “I am very young and I don’t know how to rule. Please give me the wisdom I need to rule Your people and the ability to know the difference between right and wrong.”

The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this and said to him, “Because you have asked for wisdom to rule with fairness instead of asking for long life and riches, I will give you what you have asked for. I will give you more wisdom than anyone has ever had or ever will have, and I will also give you great riches and honor which you did not ask for.”

Will God give me anything I ask for?

Don’t you just love those stories where someone is given three wishes that come true? It is fun to imagine what it would be like to be given a wish like that. If you could ask for anything you liked, what would it be?

What would you tell the Lord if He asked you what you would like, knowing that it was for real, not just a fairy tale?

Jesus said, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” (John 15:7). Does it really mean that Jesus will give us whatever we wish for?

If we ask for what is good the Lord will hear our prayer. However, He decides how best to answer that prayer. So how do we know what He wants to give us? Look at the first part of what Jesus said. If we remain in Him (stay close to Him) we learn to pray for the kind of things He would be pleased to give us. Remember that the Lord will not give us something that will harm us or something that we are not ready for.

Verse for today

For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6