God's Wisdom IS Available

God’s Wisdom Is Available

Bill Brinkworth

“In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. 9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? 10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.” I Kings 3:5-10

The newly-appointed king, King Solomon, had an opportunity many of us would certainly like to experience. God appeared to Solomon in a dream and asked “… What I shall give thee”?

Most would jump at the opportunity and would request of God great riches, tremendous power, or fame. However, Solomon took his new responsibility seriously and knew his new position should not be about his own greed and gain.

Solomon understood the country would rise or fall on the quality of leadership and the decisions the king would have to make. The leader was aware of his human weaknesses and realized he would need help in making right judgments. For this reason, the king requested of God “wisdom”. He knew that a wise ruler would be a successful ruler.

Reading I Kings 3 and much of I Kings reveals that God honored His promise and made the leader very wise (I Kings 4:29-32). Citizens and even foreign leaders flocked to the kingdom to see how wise and successful Solomon was.

Although people at that time had character, logic, and some wisdom, the wisdom from the Creator far surpassed what most men would be capable of thinking. Our decisions often lead to regretful mistakes; whereas, God’s wisdom is never wrong and is always the best for the wisdom-seeker.

Today it is rare for a Christian to have God audibly tell one what to do. His wisdom has already been recorded and is there and ready to be followed. It can be found in His preserved word, the Bible.

All a child of God has to do is read it and obey it — no matter how foreign it is to today’s thinking. God wants you to know His mind and way. God did not intend His directions to be a guessing game, but it will take your faith that He has kept His word pure for your guidance. Your faith will be shown by your obedience. Open, read, and follow the pages of wisdom God has kept for you to follow in the Bible.

“God grant me the serenity to accept things I cannot change, courage to change things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” — Niebuhr

This article was featured in the Bible View #668.