WISDOM...WHO WANTS IT?

Wisdom…Who Wants It?

Five years ago, the night my daughter went to be with Jesus, was a time when I needed wisdom that only God can give. I was not really sure how to break the news to my boys. Instead of asking God for wisdom, I passed the buck and had my Pastor tell them. This was the easy way out, not the best way. That same night, I saw God’s wisdom come out through my, then 8 year old son, Wade. After finding out about his sister, who he loved dearly, Louis Boyd took him for some ice cream to get away from the house. On that trip as Louis and Wade were driving, they came across a Tyson chicken truck. On the side of that truck was written “Tyson Chicken - What your family deserves”. Wade looked at Louis and said “Louis, this is not what my family deserves.” Louis responded by telling Wade how wise an observation that was for an 8 year old. I have been amazed at how wise Wade has always been. Where does that kind of wisdom come from? How do we get our hands on it?
To answer this question, let’s take a look at the wisest man ever recorded in history. No, it is not anyone around today. Instead, this man ruled around 971 - 931 BC. You can probably guess, but his name is Solomon. Solomon became King over Israel after the death of his father, King David. He came from very good stock. He had a few brothers that were not so good, but Solomon turned out alright. Solomon was by no means perfect. That can be seen by the number of wives and concubines he had. He had way too many for any man to keep happy. We see in I Kings 4:29 that Solomon was considered the wisest man. "God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sands on the seashore." So how did he become so wise? His wisdom did not come with his genes. Even though his father was “a man after God’s own heart,” that did not guarantee his wisdom. In I Kings 3, we find out from where his wisdom came. One night after Solomon had offered a thousand burnt offerings to the Lord, the Lord came to him in a dream. He told him to ask for whatever he wanted and the Lord would give it to him. Solomon showed great wisdom by not asking God for his physical wants and needs, but instead he asked for a wise and discerning heart. God granted that very thing, and the rest is history.
Too often, we go to God with a list of requests including our physical wants and desires. I am not saying that the Lord is not interested in those things, but how much better off would the little things be if we had wisdom? We need wisdom to run our families. We need wisdom to lead God’s people. We need wisdom to do our jobs. We need wisdom to live our lives pleasing to God. When was the last time you started off your prayer time by asking God for wisdom? Why not start today? As we ask for wisdom today, and as God bestows it; our world will be a greater place for the Glory of God.

Seeking the Wisdom of Solomon,
Aaron Hodges