Imagine being Solomon and becoming king at the age of 12 or
13. You are the king of a large nation, and the God of your nation says you can
ask him for whatever you want. What do you ask for?
Solomon’s reply was surprisingly humble – “Your servant
is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count
or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to
distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great
people of yours?” (1 Kings 3:8-9).
And
God’s response was to give Solomon a “wise and discerning heart” like no other.
It is out of this wisdom that Solomon encourages each of us in Proverbs 2 to
seek wisdom, discernment and insight in the following ways:
- We are to ask God for it: “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding” (verse 6).
- We are to seek after and turn our ears and hearts toward wisdom, understanding and insight (verse 2).
- We need to have wisdom inside of us, in our hearts (verse 10). The Holy Spirit is a “Spirit of wisdom and revelation” (Ephesians 1:17) who lives in the heart of every child of God and leads them (Romans 8:14).
- Having this wisdom (from the Holy Spirit) inside our hearts produces a life of integrity and uprightness that protects and guards us (verse 11) from “wicked” (verse 12) and “adulterous” (verse 16) people.
As
a pastor, a husband and a dad, my daily prayer is for wisdom and discernment to
lead well. May this become your daily prayer as well.
How do you seek wisdom in your daily life?
Grace & Peace - Stephen Hampton
How do you seek wisdom in your daily life?
Grace & Peace - Stephen Hampton
Proverbs 2 (especially vs. 1-5) teaches me that the wisdom of God comes with an "if/then" contingency: IF we seek, ask, and accept, THEN it's provided! But, we are not without responsibility.
ReplyDeleteI sought for years understanding... I wanted someone to give it to me. Am I not good enough, I don't get it... I thought if I sat next someone who had spiritual wisdom & knowledge it would seep over my head and drop in! If I bought the books they bought if I carried them with me, I would understand. It was not until I studied these books, studied the Bible, read again and again and practiced a commitment to do these things daily. God reveals to me the answers to understanding a spiritual Life with Him.
ReplyDeleteAsking questions, of course! Show me the path in your plan.
ReplyDelete