What Would You Do?

Read 1 Kings 1:1–4:34

5. That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”
6. Solomon replied, “You showed faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued your faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne.
7. Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around.
8. And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted!
9. Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”
10. The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. 1 Kings 3:5-10

When was the last time someone asked you for advice and you didn’t know what to say? It happens to everyone. Life throws some awful curve balls—problems that we’ve never seen before and have no idea how to confront.

Here we read where Solomon becomes king (after a conspiracy against him is quashed) and first gains his great wisdom. He already shows some wisdom, but he’s wise enough to know that he doesn’t know enough. Solomon’s humility serves him well. As you read, carefully watch this ultimate advice-giver in action.

Other lessons in this passage include parenting (in retrospect); interfering when someone is about to do an injustice; putting God at the center (even of government); and getting organized.

When given a chance to have anything in the world, Solomon asked for wisdom—“an understanding heart”—in order to lead well and to make right decisions (1 Kings 3:6-9). This, in itself, showed wisdom, and God honored Solomon’s request. Solomon became the wisest man ever (1 Kings 3:12) and, at the moving of God’s Spirit, recorded much of his God-given insight in the book of Proverbs.

God wants to work through us, not for us. Notice that Solomon asked for understanding to carry out his job; he did not ask God to do the job for him.

Ask God to give you the wisdom to know what to do and the courage to follow through on it. And remember, if you ask for wisdom, God has promised to give you all you need (see James 1:5).