If you could ask God for anything, what would it be? Anything. Anything at all…
More money? A better job? A winter home in Beaver Creek?
Solomon was given the opportunity to ask God for anything. In 1 Chronicles chapter 1, God tells Solomon:
“Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
What do you think Solomon asked for? Wealth? Riches? Honor?
Nope.
He asked for “wisdom and knowledge” in leading his people as their king.
Wisdom and knowledge.
I gotta say, if I had the opportunity to ask God for anything, wisdom and knowledge aren’t the first two things that come to mind. Pretty convicting stuff.
Think God gave him what he asked for? Yep. And guess what? Because Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge and not wealth, riches and honor… God gave him all of the above.
This reminds me of Matthew 6:33:
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well.”
Now, of course we’re not guaranteed the “things of this world,” God is not saying here, “If you seek me first and foremost, I guarantee you will be rich and famous.” But having the potential for God to throw in the things of this world as an added bonus is always nice.
The thing is, the Lord knows that He is ultimately the only thing that will fulfill us. Living a life for him will truly be the most rewarding life. Because He loves us, because he wants the best for us, He wants us to seek Him first.
And maybe, just maybe, we’ll get “the world” thrown in.
What is it that is the one thing you want more than anything? My dad sent me this picture the other day. it’s absolutely breathtaking. when I look to the sky and I see a sight like this, I am reminded of just how mighty God is and just how small I am, just how full of beauty and love and grace He is. He wants to share that beauty and love and grace with us. We just have to choose to see it. We have to choose to want it… more than anything.
My prayer today is that the Lord will change my heart, transform it and mold it every day, and help my greatest desire to be the same desire Solomon had – for wisdom and knowledge – not in being king, though, just in living my life each day for Christ and making the most of every opportunity.
It’s not easy to not desire the things of this world. We are constantly surrounded by messages in our society today telling us we need more stuff, more money, more everything. I feel like every day I wake up I am fighting a battle between my spirit and my flesh… fighting a battle of where my heart will be, what my heart will desire – the things of this world… or Jesus.
Today, I am altogether convicted and inspired by Solomon, by his greatest desire, by his heart.
And I am reminded of a quote by the great and wise C.S. Lewis:
“Aim at heaven, and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you will get neither.”
