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At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, ‘Ask what I should give you.’ And Solomon said, ‘You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart towards you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?’ It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. (1 Kings 3:5-12)
The temptation of the first humans to be know the difference between good and evil. And one of the greatest kings that ever lived is asked by God for whatever he wanted; and the young king asks for an understanding mind to know the difference between good and evil as he governed God's people. This always reminds me of the discussion I had with friends about finding that magical genie in a bottle; the understanding was that to free the genie, out of gratitude he would grant you three wishes, and so the game was "What would you ask for?" Time after time, it was "I'd wish for a million dollars!" And the others would be very materialistic just like the million dollars. A wise person asks for wisdom on how to use that wisdom in a way that pleases God. And this pleased God, so much so, that God granted him that request and added to it. The ending verse gives us a clue as to the reign of King Solomon, "Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you."
We may not be asked to govern as kings or queens, but we do have a realm of influence in our lives. If you are a parent, you have been asked numerous times to make decisions; not many of them easy nor popular among your kids. The same as a spouse or employee or employer; the best decisions come from God's wisdom, love, and care. The more we model our lives after Jesus and Jesus' heart for people, the better decisions we will make. Ours is to please God, not humans. And our decisions should reflect that commitment. Rushed, rash decisions lead to terrible consequences and outcomes; we are called to bless God and others.
PRAYER: Lord, grand to me the same kind of mind that Solomon asked; a wise mind knowing the difference between good and evil. Guide me to bless You and yours. This I pray in Christ Jesus, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Please God with a wise decision today!
Eradio Valverde
