A KING’S REQUEST
April 14, 2019 | 2 Chronicles 1:7–17; 1 Kings 4:29–34
DEVOTIONS

This Month’s Issue
In the story of Aladdin, a young man finds a mysterious and tarnished golden lamp. When he rubs it, a genie appears, granting him three wishes. In that moment, Aladdin’s world is changed because he has the ability to receive whatever his heart desires.
God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.
1 KINGS 4:29
Maybe you have wondered what you would request if you had the opportunity to receive anything your heart desired. In today’s passage, God gave King Solomon the opportunity to make such a request. His answer may surprise you: Solomon asked for wisdom.
Solomon was now king, taking over from David his father. The people he would lead were “as numerous as the dust of the earth” (2 Chron. 1:9). Surely the prospect of this responsibility was daunting, so Solomon asked: “Give me wisdom and knowledge” (2 Chron. 2:10). Wisdom is referred to throughout Scripture, and it is not just another word for knowledge. Wisdom is marked by obedience to God. “Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city” (Eccl. 7:19). Knowledge refers to the accumulation of facts. As one person said, if you have knowledge but no wisdom, you are merely a walking encyclopedia. While knowledge might help you win at the game Trivial Pursuit, wisdom brings discernment and helps put knowledge into action.
God granted Solomon’s request: “wisdom and knowledge will be given you” (2 Chron. 1:12). But God also gave the new king unprecedented wealth, possessions, and honor: 1,400 chariots, 12,000 horses. Gold and silver were “as common in Jerusalem as stones” (2 Chron. 1:15). The request for wisdom was met with great pleasure by God. It was an indication (at least in the beginning) that this king not only wanted to rule but that He wanted to follow God.
APPLY THE WORD
Today ask God for wisdom. Ask Him to direct your path and guide your steps. Ask Him to help you make the best choices and decisions for your future, and even for your day. Before you step into any confusing situation, take a moment to pray for God’s wisdom. Just as He granted King Solomon’s request for wisdom, He can grant yours today.

Devotion Credit: Today in word