You can ask God for anything. What is the one thing you would ask Him for? Healing from a disease? Wealth to provide for your family? A long-desired child to hold in your arms? The list seems endless on the things we could ask God to do or provide.
“At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” (1 Kings 3:5)
Can you imagine the Lord offering that open promise to you? The Lord didn’t place any restrictions on Solomon. Solomon’s father was King David, a man after God’s own heart. That means that David greatly pleased the Lord. He was a man who sought the Lord, and while he sinned, he also sought forgiveness. David was considered a great warrior. King Solomon likely lived in the shadow of his father, the great King.
I think if it was me, I would ask to be a great King like my father. I wouldn’t want to be seen as a disappointment when following in his footsteps. One thing that Solomon knew was expected of him was to build a temple for the Lord. His father, King David, prepared his son for this task before he died. Wouldn’t it seem reasonable that his request would be that the Lord would be pleased with the temple? So many possibilities and yet he only asked for one thing.
“So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.” (1 Kings 3:9)
This request greatly pleased the Lord. There is great humility in asking for wisdom. It shows that Solomon likely didn’t feel equipped to rule over Israel. He was seeking to bring honor to the Lord rather than serve his own desires. He knew that to rule the people well he would have to be wise and walk closely with the Lord.
God’s response showed love for Solomon. “I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” (1 Kings 3:12-14)
God promised to not only give him wisdom, but also wealth and honor. He also promised to give him a long life if he walked in obedience to God. Isn’t that just like a loving father? He hears what a child is asking for but desires to do more than the child can imagine.
I think the plot twist in this story comes in the next verse, “Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it had been a dream.” (1 Kings 3:15)
Think about when you had a really good dream and it felt like it was really happening, then you wake up. There’s a crushing disappointment. It was just a dream. God didn’t audible speak to Solomon. He didn’t send a prophet to confirm the dream.
As a human, I would question if it was just my dream or if it was God truly speaking to me. Solomon awoke and returned to Jerusalem where he offered praise and sacrifice for the Lord. He held a feast to give thanks for the Lord’s favor. He believed in the Lord and knew His promises to be true. He knew the sound of the Lord’s voice. He walked in great faith.
We are each given the opportunity to walk in faith, to trust God. Don’t we all stumble at times? We miss the opportunity to show others how we trust God. We hesitate a moment too long to share the gospel. We second guess what we believe to be true. We only need to look to Solomon who trusted the Lord so deeply that even in a dream He knew the voice of the Lord to be true.
God loves you. He has a plan for your life and that plan is trustworthy. You can rest in the peace that God already knows what is going to happen. He is faithful. Listen for His voice. Seek the Lord in prayer, read the Bible, and ask Him to help you know His voice so you can walk in deeper faith.
suburbanthoughts 