In the last devotional, I shared that Solomon had a vision where he asked God for an understanding heart. His heart’s desire was to lead God’s people with equity and justice because they were valuable to the Lord.
The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” 1Kings 3:10-14
The Lord was greatly pleased with Solomon’s request and made him the wisest and the most understanding person ever known. He also blessed Solomon with wealth and honor, which Solomon had not requested. In addition to blessing him richly, the Lord reminded him to walk in all of His ways.
God has blessed with us with many spiritual and natural blessings, but none of those blessings are intended to derail us from walking in God’s ways. The blessings of God should not make us walk independently of God. Instead, the more responsibility He gives us, it should cause us to be more dependent upon Him for the wisdom we need to navigate through various decisions.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10
Solomon received much insight and wisdom, and he penned some of those insights in the book of Proverbs. The secret to Solomon’s wisdom was the fear of the Lord! Revering God and honoring the Lord is the starting point of wisdom. When we put God first in everything, it strips away our personal plans and ambitions. We empty ourselves of our own ideas, and we allow God to fill us with His wisdom and insight. Wisdom and understanding protect us from evil, and they help us to navigate successfully through various junctions of life without making too many detours. True wisdom is potent and effective in the person’s life, and it is a blessing to those around them.
Wisdom comes from the foundation of respecting and honoring the Word of God. Love and respect are two separate things. Some people have grown in families where there were no boundaries. As a result, children love the parents but do not honor them. Others have had harsh or neglectful parents, as a result, they did not respect their parents and rebelled against them. When people come to salvation, some bring their past experience and mindset to their relationship with the Lord. They love Him, but they still do what they want to do. They selectively pick and choose what they want out of the word of God, and they think they can get away with it.
If we desire to be wise, we must ask ourselves, do we revere God and desire to know Him? Are there areas of your life that you still operate as the little boy or the little girl dealing with his/her parents? The Lord has designed a system with healthy boundaries for our good. It is a system where we thrive and fulfill God’s purpose in our lives. Honoring Him and taking His seriously opens the door to wisdom and insight.
