preview

FEBRUARY 5
ASKING FOR WISDOM
“In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night: and God said,
‘Ask what I shall give you.” (And Solomon replies:) “…Give…your servant
an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between
good and bad…’ And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked
this thing.” (1 Kings 3:5, 9-10)
Of all the things King Solomon could have asked for, he asks for “this
thing” that is wisdom; that is, “discernment between good and bad.”
What is remarkable to me in this well-known passage is not primarily
that the young Solomon (who was just a boy at the time) valued wisdom
above all things, but that he recognized that it is a gift from God.
So – I need to ask God for “wisdom” or “discernment.” And I must say, as
I get older, I increasingly see the need for it in my own life. I often simply
don’t know what is truly a good thing, a good decision, and what is a
bad one. I am not sure how to understand a certain situation; whether I
should try and change it, or just accept it. I sometimes don’t know when
to say something, and when to shut up; when I need to tackle my work,
and when I need to just be still and do nothing; when I’m truly being
helpful, or just people-pleasing. And so on.
Today I remember to ask God for “an understanding heart,” and the
wisdom to “discern between the good and bad,” before all things. Because
this is a gift from Him, and it pleases Him when we ask “this thing.”
40