King Solomon is recognized both by secular experts and by church historians to be one of the wisest people to have ever lived or ruled. Solomon wrote most of the book of Proverbs and the books of Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon in their entirety. Kings and leaders came from other nations to Jerusalem to learn from this wise man. Solomon's father was King David who had been a man after God's own heart.
Early in King Solomon's reign, God interrupted his sleep one night with a piercing question.
"That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask what I might give to you'" (2 Chron. 1:7).
Think about it for a minute. If God awakened you from snoring and drooling and said to you, "You can have whatever you desire ... just tell me what you want," how would you reply to this expansive request from God Almighty?
Perhaps you would ask for better health or an Ivy League education; some people would certainly ask for the ability to travel abroad and experience extravagant living. I don't know of anyone who wouldn't ask for more money! Maybe on your short list of things to ask God for would be for your children to live honorable lives or for a godly spouse for yourself. Would you ask for Disney World? For Hawaii? For fame or fortune?
Then Solomon said to God, "You have given a great mercy to David my father and have made me king in his place. Now, Lord God, may Your word to David my father be confirmed, for You have made me king over a people numerous as the dust of the earth. Now give wisdom and knowledge to me so that I might know how to go before this people, for who can judge this great people of Yours?" (2 Chron. 1:8-10).
Solomon, with great foresight and epic wisdom, didn't request houses or lands.
Then God responded to Solomon, "Because this was in your heart and you did not ask for possessions, wealth, and honor, or even the life of those who hate you, nor have you asked for many days of life, but you have asked Me for wisdom and knowledge that you might govern My people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are now given to you. Possessions, wealth, and honor I will also give to you; such has not been given to kings before you nor those who will follow after you" (2 Chron. 1:11-12).
God took note of what Solomon had in his mind! Now, the truth is that God knew what was in Solomon's mind before he even expressed it, but God was interested in hearing audibly the thoughts of Solomon's mind. God is interested in hearing the thoughts of your mind, as well. What you think in the deepest part of you is important to God!
When, in the deepest part of your soul, you long for wisdom and knowledge in order to make godly decisions, you are setting yourself up for so much more. God takes note of a man or a woman who desires wisdom and then abundantly blesses beyond what was even asked, thought or imagined.
You will receive from God more than you even had in your mind when you have the right thoughts and wise requests in mind. You are no different from Solomon; you have been given the remarkable opportunity to make up your own mind while you are living on planet earth. The thoughts that you think determine the outcome of your life in a way that potentially nothing else has the power to do.
"I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his deeds" (Jer. 17:10).
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