THE WISDOM THAT GROWS YOU
I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.
Ephesians 1:16b-17 (NLT)
Solomon's appeal for wisdom in 1 Kings 3 is as inspiring as it is frustrating. If you haven't read it, Solomon succeeded his father David as king over Israel, and God appeared to him in a dream. God offered to give Solomon whatever he wanted, so Solomon asked for wisdom. This pleased God, so He made Solomon the wisest person who ever lived and also gave him wealth and victory over his enemies.
The following chapters in 1 Kings tell stories of how Solomon used that wisdom, often to the awe of his people and the surrounding nations. Unfortunately, as Solomon grew in power and influence, he also accumulated wives from surrounding nations with different religious practices. Solomon's wisdom was eventually squandered on self-indulgence, disobedience and pandering to his wives' desires rather than being used for the honor and pleasure of his God.
Solomon was the wisest person who ever lived, but his wisdom was infected, polluted and corrupted by his selfishness and the influence of those around him. Solomon's story in 1 Kings is a cautionary tale because it shows how easily even God-given wisdom can be weakened when we stop submitting our hearts to God. When Solomon leaned on his own understanding, ignored God's commands and allowed competing desires to shape his decisions, his wisdom no longer produced faithfulness. His life reminds us that true wisdom is not merely knowing what's right—it's trusting God enough to obey Him.
Thankfully, we know and serve a God who wants to give us wisdom. He shares it freely through Scripture and generously through His Spirit. We can grow in our knowledge of many things, but growing in our knowledge of God is the greatest application of wisdom we can pursue!
APPLICATION: When you read your Bible today, what wisdom is God bringing to your attention? Obey Him in that wisdom today! Even if it's small, a step of obedience is a step in the right direction.
PRAYER: God, thank You for being the source of wisdom. Give me and the people around me spiritual wisdom and insight so we may grow in our knowledge of You. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?