In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. (1 Kings 3:5)
What will the Lord find in your life? I continue to ask this question often in mine. During my personal Bible reading time, I came across the passage in the book of First Kings where the throne of Israel has passed to Solomon. During the early years of his reign, the Lord appears to him in a dream and offers Solomon three things – and all he has to do is ask the Lord for the one he desires most.
Right now, if the Lord were to offer you the same offer, what would you want? There were three things the Lord listed that Solomon could have asked for: wealth, long life, or the death of his enemies (1 Kings 3:6-15). Instead, Solomon asked for wisdom so he could reign over the Lord’s people in righteousness. In other words, Solomon wanted his reign to be one that the Lord would find pleasing in the Lord’s sight.
A young king, a demanding job, and a loving God.
Solomon was a young man who had just become king of Israel. The Bible does not give Solomon’s age when he became king; he was about 20 years old. Early in his reign, the Lord approached Solomon in his sleep and asked what the Lord could give him. When the Lord looked into Solomon’s heart, He found sincerity in the young king’s request. The Lord already knew what He would find in Solomon’s heart.
What does the Lord find in Solomon’s heart?
Early in Solomon’s life, the Lord found a young, tender heart that thirsted after what was right. Think of what the Lord offered Solomon and what the Lord tells us about the human heart:
I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:10)
Without hesitation, Solomon knew what he desired most of all. Solomon asks the Lord:
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? (1 Kings 3:9)
The next verse states, “this pleased the Lord that Solomon asked this thing.” Solomon didn’t ask for anything that would benefit him directly. At the heart of Solomon’s request was a sincere desire to govern the nation of Israel justly. He wanted to rule Israel as his father, David, did in his later years. And Solomon desired to discern between “good and evil.”
The Lord honors Solomon’s choice.
Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. (1 Kings 3:12-13)
The Lord blessed Solomon more than he could ever fully realize or appreciate. Not only did Solomon get the desire of his heart, but the Lord blessed him with everything he was offered. Solomon started his reign loving the Lord and desired to follow his father’s legacy, but he didn’t remain faithful to the Lord in his later years. The rest of the book of 1 King bears out how Solomon didn’t use the wisdom the Lord gave him when raising his children or within his household. But this part of the story is an excellent subject for another day.
What does the Lord find in my heart?
Maybe I am the only one to ever think of things like this – but what would my answer be if the Lord made this offer to me? If the Lord offered me wealth, long life, or anything regarding my professional life (since I am not a ruler or king), what would I ask for? Would I ask for something for myself? Would I ask for something to help me be more effective in the tasks set in front of me by the Lord?
What would be my choice? Why is it so hard?
Many think this is an easy question for anyone to answer – especially Christians. There’s a verse most often associated with the Lord’s supper (some prefer to call it Communion) that I often find myself coming to during my devotions:
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. (1 Corinthians 11:28)
Sometimes we can easily justify asking the Lord for any of the three things He offered Solomon. It would be easy to see how having great wealth would allow us to be a blessing to others around us and to contribute to the ministries we feel led to support financially. Others might think that asking the Lord for a long life might allow them the ability to serve Him longer. Others might think that asking to remove obstacles in their career might be the best thing to make their life easier. Any one of those we could easily justify spiritually, but we know that these three choices appeal to the natural man that Paul writes about.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14)
Sometimes it’s hard knowing what to ask for.
Each of the things the Lord offered Solomon would have benefited Israel to some extent. But Solomon would have benefited from each of them personally, too. Solomon asked for wisdom to know how to rule Israel in a just manner. As Christians, our prayer life is often torn between our carnal and spiritual minds. We know what we should pray for, but we constantly pray for things we shouldn’t.
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. (James 4:3)
In my prayer life, I have asked the Lord for wants rather than needs. And rather than asking to help me to help others, my prayers are more “me” centered than kingdom centered. The verse in James points out what I have done so many times – I ask amiss, focusing on my desires and wants rather than on what I know would be His will for me.
And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. (1 John 3:22)
What does the Lord find in my heart?
As I ask myself what the Lord would find in my heart, I think back to 1 Corinthians 11:28 and do some serious examination. John wrote that when we do what pleases the Lord and keep His commandments, we receive what we ask of Him. This is because we, like Solomon, have accepted the Lord’s will for our life for our own will. We have come to a point where we can say, “Lord, if this is what you want for me, then this is what I want. Please help me to be the best I can be at this.”
It isn’t an easy thing to do. We all worry about the necessities of life and things relating to our careers. I often wonder if Solomon felt overwhelmed by the Lord’s offer. But we often forget that our Lord, Jesus, even encouraged us not to let the worries of everyday life rob us of what He has planned for us:
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)
Solomon was not seeking the kingdom of God, but he was seeking to rule righteously. Solomon didn’t have the Holy Spirit guiding him, but we do as believers in Jesus Christ. We can fellowship with the Lord through the Holy Spirit that lives within us in a way that Solomon could not comprehend. Solomon had to rely on prophets or messages delivered by the high priest to understand what the Lord wanted. We have the Holy Spirit that lives within us! We have the Comforter Jesus promised He would send to all who would believe in Him.
A hope the Lord finds a heart that’s spirit-led.
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (Psalm 119:11)
The older I get, the stronger the desire grows in me to walk closer to the Lord. David felt this same desire as he saw how the Lord was there – even during times of great hardship and sorrow. Even when David knew he was under the chastisement of the Lord, he knew God’s mercy and love were still present. David knew the Lord delivered him from lions, bears, and a giant named Goliath. David knew that the Lord saved him from the hands of Saul and the Philistines on numerous occasions and even delivered him out of the hands of his son Absalom.
I want to think that if the Lord came to me in a dream and asked me what I would want, and if offered the three choices He offered Solomon, I’d not choose any of the three. I’d not even select the wisdom that Solomon asked. Instead, I’d put the choice firmly in the Lord’s hands. I’ve spent so much time asking for the wrong things and making mistakes. The Lord knows where He wants me, and only He knows what awaits me. I trust Him to choose what I need for the journey ahead.
