1 KINGS 3 ASK GOD FOR WISDOM2018 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: 1 Kings 3 Ask God For Wisdom

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2018. Well, this morning, as we look at the life of Solomon here in 1 Kings chapter 3, as we work our way through the Bible in three years, we are now in the life and the kingdom of Solomon, the son of David. And

And as we look at this, we have this incredible encounter that Solomon has with God, where God says, Solomon, ask me for whatever you want. What do you want me to do for you? And it's this incredible opportunity that Solomon has to present his request to

before the Lord. And I think that it's true for all of us. We can't read through this passage without stopping to think, what would I ask for? If God showed up, let's say you fell asleep in service today and God spoke to you in a dream. This happened in a dream for Solomon. So you fall asleep in service. God speaks to you in a dream and says, ask for me. What do you want? What can I do for you? What would your response be?

be? Well, I think everybody knows the first thing that you ask for is more wishes, right? You get three wishes, you know, then you ask for more so that you can keep on asking what you want. But even with genies, there are parameters. And so we recognize, okay, we can't just ask for whatever I want, but what do I want? What would I respond? What would you say if God gave you the opportunity to say, here's what I would like you to do for me? And

And we probably know this account. And if you know this account, you already kind of know Solomon's answer, right? You know how that went. And so many times I think for us, we kind of know the right answer. And so we don't really allow ourselves to think through the question all that well. But I would ask you to consider it maybe in a couple different ways. Maybe ask yourself this. What could I ask for that would set me up for life?

What could you ask for from God that you would just, man, if God would do this in my life, I would be set for the rest of my life. I wouldn't need anything else. I wouldn't need anything more. I would have everything that I need if God would do this one thing for my life. What would that one thing be? Maybe you would ask yourself it this way. What is the answer to all of my problems?

A lot of times we have in our mind what we think is the answer to all of our problems, right? And so what is that for you? What is it that you think about that if God would do this, boy, that would resolve so many things. That would fix so many issues.

And there's maybe some different things that you might think about as far as what would set you up for life or what would fix your problems and those issues that you face. And perhaps, you know, finances is one of them. And so you might ask God if you could just win the lottery or if just money could rain down from heaven, an infinite, you know, bank account, whatever you might consider that or however you might consider that. And you might think, well, if I, boy, if I won that $100 million, you know,

I would be set for life. All of my problems would go away. I wouldn't have to work so hard. You know, my family would be provided for. There would be no stress in my life. And boy, everything would go so great if I only had this amount of money or this amount of savings or this amount of that or whatever.

Maybe you wouldn't ask for money. Maybe that's not on your mind, but maybe health is on your mind. Boy, things would be just so much better if I could just be healthy. If I didn't have this chronic pain, this persistent issue, this constant fatigue, if I didn't have these things, boy, if God would just resolve that and heal that, then everything would be so much better. Everything would be great if I could have health.

health. Or maybe your prayer request would be, your request would be, if I could have this position or this career or this status, or maybe your request would be for your family, you know, if I could have this kind of spouse or my spouse could be that kind of way, or if my kids would just behave this way and everything would be perfect if I could just have this. There's a

And as we think through what those might be, I would remind you this morning that there is no better request that we could ask for than what God has already provided for us in Christ Jesus, in the grace and the mercy that he extends towards us. And we know that to be true, but this morning I would encourage you to consider, do I really believe that? Is there a greater request that you could ask than for wisdom as Solomon asked?

Is there really a greater request that you could ask that would be most beneficial for you for the rest of your life? Now, we know the truth. We know the doctrine. We know the theology. We know what God has provided.

We don't always feel that it's that beneficial. You know, it's how we feel. It's kind of like if I were to bring you a gift, and I give you a little box, it's wrapped, it's nice, and I say, here's a gift, it's worth five million dollars, and you're like, oh wow, this is exciting, and you open it up, and you pull it out, and inside is a card that says a donation, and your name has been made for five million dollars to this charitable organization, and you're like, well thanks, Jerry. You know, like,

What benefit do I get from that? I don't have any value from that. That can't help me. That can't pay my bills. You know, so you gave $5 million to somebody else in my name. Thanks. You know, that doesn't help me very much. And sometimes that's how we feel about all that God has done for us. And so when it comes to this question, what would you ask for?

What more could you ask for than what God has already provided? What more could you ask for? What God has in store for you, God's plan for your life, there is no better plan. There is no better thing that he could offer to you than what he has already offered to you. And so we see here Solomon ask for something, well, that is very wise to ask for, and that is wisdom.

This morning, I want to encourage you to follow his example and ask God for wisdom. God has provided for you. He has available to you the wisdom that you need for the life that you face. And all of those money problems and health problems and family problems and all those things that you could think about that you wish you could have them resolved, God has provided you the means to handle those situations. The resource of wisdom is available to you today.

Like Solomon, we need to learn to ask God for wisdom. And so we're going to walk through Solomon's example here in 1 Kings 3 and look at four things. The first point this morning here in verses 1 through 5 is to draw near to God. To ask God for wisdom begins with this first step. It's a very simple step, but to draw near to God. To begin to approach God that we can make this request.

I'm going to jump into verse 2 and 3 here again. It says this, Here is where we're introduced to Solomon in chapter 3. We get a little glimpse of the context here.

the days that Solomon lived in, the people that were there in the land of Israel, it tells us that the people were sacrificing at the high places. Now, the high places were literally, geographically, places that were elevated. They were higher places. And

It started out with the Canaanites, the people who lived in Israel before the Israelites, and they would use these higher places, these hilltops and high places to worship their false gods. And later on, the nation of Israel will use those same locations to worship those same false gods.

But here, it's not indicating an idolatry that is happening, but it's indicating that there is a worship of God that's happening at various locations at these high places. So they're using the locations that the Canaanites were using, but it's implying here they're not worshiping their false gods, but they're worshiping God at these various locations. Notice it says in verse 2, "...because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days."

So the tabernacle was around still, but the temple had not been built yet. And so people were just sacrificing to God and trying to worship God and walk with God the best that they could figure out in various locations throughout the land of Israel. And then it goes on to tell us in verse 3 that Solomon was amongst those people, that this was the practice of the people and Solomon went along with that.

But notice that it points out that that was different, that was distinct from David's practice. It tells us in verse 3 that Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except, so this is an exception, he began to follow in his dad's footsteps. He began to walk with God like David walked with God, but he sacrificed and burned incense at these high places.

Now, again, this is not suggesting that Solomon at this point had turned to idolatry. He will later, but not at this point. At this point, he is calling out to God. He is seeking the true and the living God. And he's offering sacrifices to God at these various locations. Now, one of the locations that he was at and he would go to was Gibeon.

We know that in verse 4, it says the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there. That's where the tabernacle was, the tabernacle of Moses, remember, from the wilderness. They brought it into the land of Israel. It's been at a couple different locations, but at this time it was at Gibeon, and that's why Solomon went there in verse 4. So we offered sacrifices at various locations, and then in particular at Gibeon. And you're probably thinking about this point, like, well, this is a whole lot of detail about all these different places. What

What's the point here? Well, here's the point. Solomon, it tells us, loved God. He was devoted to God. He followed David's example, except he added on some things that were not so great according to what God had instructed. In the book of Deuteronomy chapter 12, as God was preparing his people to enter into the promised land, he says, look,

When you get in there, there's going to be a place that I'm going to identify for you. In verse 13 of Deuteronomy 12, he says, take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see, but in the place which the Lord chooses in one of your tribes. There you shall offer your burnt offerings and there you shall do all that I command you.

God points out, he prepares them ahead of time. Look, here in the wilderness, you're offering sacrifices at the tabernacle. When you get into the promised land, you're not to do sacrifices just anywhere you want to, at all the high places or anywhere else. You're not to just offer sacrifices and try to worship me and walk with me however you want to, wherever you want to. But no, in the promised land, there is going to be a particular location. I'm not telling you where it is yet.

But I will tell you when you get there. I will let you know where it is where I've chosen to put my name. And all throughout Deuteronomy and the rest of the scriptures, we see God promising that there's going to be a place. I'm going to put my name there. And that is where you are to come and worship me. Now, we know later on from Israel's history that God chose Jerusalem. But it's interesting because the way that we know this is through David.

In fact, before David, there's no indication that anybody else knew the place that God had chosen. But David describes the process in Psalm 132 of, he says, look, I'm not going to rest. I'm not going to sleep until I find that place for the Lord. David made it first priority as he walks into the land. First things first, the most important thing I need to, as he becomes king, I need to make sure I find out where is the place that

God said there would be a place. He said he would show us the place. And he learned from the Lord that the place that God had chosen to put his name was Jerusalem. Remember, Jerusalem hadn't even been conquered yet when David became king. And so that was the first thing. One of the first things he did was conquer Jerusalem because he had sought the Lord and found out this is the place that God has chosen. This is the place that sacrifices are to be offered to the Lord. This is the place that

to worship the Lord and walk with the Lord. Solomon, it points out in these verses, loved God and he was devoted to God. But he was a little bit different than David in that he worshipped God in these other places as well, offered these sacrifices in other places as well. And that's important to note because he didn't know God quite as well as David did. But that doesn't stop God from

from meeting with Solomon and giving him this incredible opportunity to ask his request. Solomon loves God. He's devoted to God and God says, I can work with that. Here at Gibeon, Solomon offers a thousand burnt offerings on the altar. The burnt offering was a particular kind of offering that was symbolic of committing yourself completely, devoting yourself entirely to God.

Thomas Constable, the commentator, puts it this way. Burnt offerings symbolize the dedication of the worshiper's person to God. By offering 1,000 of these sacrifices, Solomon was expressing his personal allegiance to Yahweh. He was telling God through these sacrifices, I'm like this animal, completely given over to you. I am devoted to you, God. I'm going to walk with you. I'm going to follow your ways. He loved God. He was devoted to God.

But he didn't know God very well. And David had a better understanding of God than Solomon did. He didn't get it quite right. But he loved God. He was committed to God. And God said, I can work with that. And God's offer that comes in just the next verse is connected to Solomon's sacrifice.

God's offer is in response to, he's responding, Solomon, you're loving me. You're devoting yourself to me. I'm going to show up now and offer you. What can I do for you? How can I bless you? What would you like for me to accomplish in your life? And I think this is really important for us to take a moment and meditate on because sometimes as believers in Jesus, we can be too picky.

We can become so nitpicky in some little details sometimes that we will withhold ourselves from drawing near to the Lord and also sometimes hinder others from drawing near to the Lord. We can become like the religious leaders of Jesus' day who got caught up and bound up with legalism. Now, there are laws, there are rules, there are things that God has established, but sometimes we take it way beyond what God has established.

And the Pharisees, Jesus described them as straining a gnat while swallowing a camel. And the idea there is like you're straining out this liquid to make sure there's no gnat in it. Because if you ingest that gnat, well, you'll be defiled. You know, that's blood. You know, you shouldn't have that. So we've got to strain out all of our liquids to make sure there's no tiny little tiny bugs in there. But in the meantime, they're missing the point and swallowing a camel. Right?

completely missing the heart of God while being so focused on these little details that were not as important as they made them out to be. And you know, sometimes we can be like that. And we can focus on little details, little technicalities. We can get caught up with things that are not as important as we make them out to be. And sometimes we allow that to hinder us in approaching God. Well, I can't

Draw near to God because, you know, I didn't tie my shoes right this morning or I didn't pray the right prayer. I was praying with my eyes open, so probably that didn't count, you know. We have these things that we build up that are maybe important to us or we get, you know, picky about that doesn't hinder God. Here's Solomon worshiping and offering sacrifices to God. He loves God, but he's in the wrong place.

He's not exactly at the right place. He's at Gibeon. It's close. It's good. You know, hey, but it's not. Notice the exception. It's except he followed David. Except David never offered sacrifices at the high places. You read through his history. You read through his account. He didn't do that. Why? Because he had sought the Lord and he had learned God had put his name at Jerusalem, Mount Zion. That's where sacrifices were to be made.

And so that's what David walked in, but Solomon, he didn't get it quite right. But that didn't hinder God from responding to him. You see, what's important is Solomon's heart here. Now, later on at the end of the passage in verse 15, we'll see that Solomon, in response to God ministering to him, he goes to Jerusalem and then offers sacrifices there.

In his encounter with God, those little details, God works them out. And he leads Solomon in the correct way. There are some times where people who claim to speak on behalf of God would prevent Solomon from offering sacrifices to begin with. Because no, no, no, you have to do it exactly the right way at exactly the right spot. And focusing on details that God wants to address.

But we don't let God address them. We try to make them happen ourselves. And we need to be careful about that. There are a lot of things that God is particular about. And he tells us very clearly. And so we have the clarity of those things. But there's also a lot of things that we just need to let God speak to us and to other people about. And not let those things hinder drawing near to God. You see, the heart is the real issue. Solomon loved God and he was devoted to God. That

That was the most important thing. And as Solomon draws near to God, God's able to work with that. James tells us in James chapter 4 verse 8, draw near to God and he will draw near to you. This is God's commitment to you. You love him.

And devote yourself to him. You draw near to him and he will meet you where you're at. You know, we sing the song, we know the phrase, come as you are, but sometimes we just don't really believe it. And we try to fix ourselves up and get everything right, get all those nitpicky details, you know, perfect before we draw near to God. And we don't have to do that. We can truly come as we are. Draw near to God.

Well, is it better if I, you know, I'm sitting when I pray or standing or bowing? You know, is it better with my face to the ground? Don't worry about all the details. Let's spend time in prayer. We need to draw near to God. The best way we know how. That's what Solomon was doing here. He didn't know God as well as David did. His information wasn't quite as accurate. He didn't have all the details perfect. But the best way he knew how, he said, you know, God, I love you.

I want to devote myself to you. And so I'm going to Gibeon where the tabernacle is. And I'm going to offer some sacrifices to show you, to demonstrate, to declare. I want to be completely sold over to you. It's a really great model for us, a great example for us. We're not perfect and we don't get all the details right all the time.

that our heart can be in the same place, loving God and devoting ourselves to him. And so God shows up and says, Solomon, what can I do for you? You want to love me? You want to devote yourself to me? Yeah, that's great. What can I do for you? And now as we go on to verses six through nine, we get point number two, and that is express your need for God. As we draw near to God, and God gives us opportunity to express

share with him what we desire and what our request is, it needs to begin with a position of humility. Let's read verses six through nine. It says, and Solomon said, you have shown great mercy to your servant David, my father, because he walked before you in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with you. You have continued this great kindness for him and you have given him a son to sit on his throne as it is this day.

Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in, and your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore, give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people, and to judge your people.

that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours? Here, Solomon is given this opportunity. God says, what do you want me to do for you? You name it, I will do it. And Solomon's response, he doesn't get to his request right away. He begins to describe his condition and situation to God. He starts off in verse 9 talking about his father David.

How God has been kind to him and God has worked in his life. And what stood out to Solomon about David was his walk with God. He says, look, you've behaved this way towards David because he walked before you in truth and righteousness and in uprightness of heart. My dad walked with you and you have been so good to him as a result. And that goodness has extended, has continued until now. You've placed me, his son, on the throne.

But now here's the problem. Here's the beginning of the request in verse 7. He says, but I am a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. You've been so good and kind to David and that is extended to me. Now here I am on the throne of David, but I'm just a kid. I'm a little child, he says. Now Solomon is not saying he is a child in the sense of his age. Before Solomon became king,

He had actually been married. He had a son named Rehoboam who will take the throne after him. It doesn't declare to us his exact age at the time he becomes king, but it's a good safe estimate that he was probably at least 20 years old. So Solomon is not a child in the sense of he's 8 or 10 or 12 or 16. He has some experience. He's been married. He has a son. He is a man who

But when he says, I'm a child, a little child, he is expressing his feeling of inadequacy. He's expressing his inexperience. He says, I don't know how to go out or come in. I'm king now, but I don't really know what that means. I don't know how to be king. I don't know what that looks like. I don't know what to do. I don't know what I'm supposed to do as king. There's a lot that I'm just not prepared for. And so he says, I am a little child.

And so that's part of the issue. That's part of the condition that he's in and why he's so desperate for God to work. And on top of that, in verse 8, he goes on to say, your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen. So not only am I in equipped to

I'm not king over some random people. I'm not king over some people that you're not concerned about. I'm king over your people.

chosen people these are people that are special to you god these are people that you care intensely about and and now i'm responsible for them and i'm accountable for them and and boy that is a huge responsibility not only that but he goes on to say this is a great people too numerous to be numbered there's a large population here again i'm not just keying over you know 10 people or 12 people that

It's not just a few people who are going to be impacted by my decisions and by my actions, but there's a huge multitude of people that you have placed me over as king. And they're your people. They're incredibly special and important to you. And I am so inexperienced. So that's how Solomon sees his condition. And so he makes the request in verse 9. Therefore, give to your servant an understanding heart to judge your people.

This is what I need, God, because I'm inexperienced. The role and responsibility is huge, and there's no way I can do this on my own. I don't have the wisdom that I need. I don't have the understanding that I need. I don't know what's best. He says that I may discern between good and evil. I don't know. I can't tell the difference between good and evil in every situation, in every context, and all the decisions that I'm going to have to make. I can't tell the difference. I'm not going to be able to understand what's best for everyone. I'm not going to be able to understand what's best for everyone.

He says, who is able to judge this great people of yours? Nobody is up to the task, least of all me, Solomon says. So here's my request. Give me an understanding heart to judge your people. Give me wisdom to fulfill the role that you've given to me. Pastor David Guzik says, Solomon didn't have a false humility that said, I can't do this, so I won't even try. His attitude was, this job is so much bigger than me.

I must rely on God. And here Solomon provides for us a really great example. We must rely on God. This need that he felt, this inadequacy that he felt is what prompted Solomon to go and sacrifice to the Lord to begin with. Because he felt so unprepared. He didn't have what was needed for the task at hand. And this is common for God's people.

This is pretty typical. This is pretty normal. Solomon here shows us the right way to handle it. We see other examples throughout the scriptures of the wrong way to handle it. Remember Saul when he was called to be king? And the day came for him to be crowned as king. And they're like, hey, did he come? Where is he? You know, the ceremony's going. Introducing King Saul. The stage is empty. Everybody's looking around. Introducing King Saul.

He still doesn't show up. Where's Saul? And they have to spend time in prayer. And God says, okay, he's hiding amongst the stuff. Oftentimes it's seen as a positive trait for Saul. Look how humble he was. But in reality, no, he had clear direction from God of what his calling was. Solomon was not in humility, you know, just laying low. He was trying to get out of, trying to avoid what it was that God had called him to.

Remember Moses making excuses. I can't talk. I can't go to Pharaoh. And having that discussion with the Lord. We all are inexperienced and unqualified when it comes to whatever it is that God has called us to in this life. And how we handle that feeling of inadequacy is very important. What we need to do with it is to come to God and express our need and ask him for help. That's what Solomon does. This is a big task. I'm not up to the task.

God, I need your help. He's relying upon the Lord. He's focusing on God. Notice he's looking at the people. They're God's people. He's looking at the role. He says, look, this is God's calling. And so in humility, by the way, humility is not just like, you know, having low self-esteem or despising yourself or talking yourself, you know, in a negative way. Humility is best understood as an accurate view of self. It's an accurate view. Solomon is accurate in his assessment of

He is inexperienced. He is not equipped. He does need God's help. And he does the right thing with that feeling, with that condition. And he expresses that to God. That can be a difficult thing for us sometimes. In our pride, in our, you know, self-reliance and independence to express to God how much we need him can be very difficult.

But if you don't need God, then why are you really praying at all? Why are you calling out to him at all if you don't need him? This is a reality that we have to face. I need God and you need God. And the reality is just as much today as always. Solomon at this time is young. He's brand new as king. But this statement and this condition of his heart,

is true, well, the condition of his heart is going to change later on, but his position of needing God in this way is going to be true for the rest of his reign. Even as king for 40 years, he's going to need God just as much as he did right here in the beginning. The problem with Solomon is that later on he forgets that, and we'll get back to that in a moment, but that is a tendency for all of us. And this is why we need to reflect on this and express our need to God, because sometimes Solomon

Just kind of, you know, giving some simple examples. Hey, I've taught Sunday school for 20 years. So, you know, I know how to do this. And we can rely upon our experiences and our resources and what we've gone through and all of the training that we've had and forget that we need God today to teach Sunday school just as much as we did that first time when we were really nervous and passed out and almost threw up and everything, you know. That time, yeah, we still need God in the same way, but we just don't feel it the same, right?

And sometimes we forget and we don't rely upon God. And so this morning, as we talk about asking God for wisdom, it starts with drawing near to God. It starts with seeking him, loving him, even if we don't get it perfect all the time, but devoting ourselves to him and expressing, reminding ourselves and letting God know, I understand how much I need you, how much I'm desperate for you.

Well, moving on to verses 10 through 13, we see God's response and it is generous. And so point number three is receive God's generous response. Looking at verse 10 through 13, it says, the speech pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him, because you have asked this thing and have not asked a long life for yourself,

Verse 13. Verse 13.

so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. Here God responds to Solomon's request and the condition of his heart. And his response is generous. It is above and beyond what Solomon has asked for. Because in verse 10, it tells us the speech pleased the Lord. Do you want to please the Lord?

Do you want to have God hear what you express to him and just be so pleased at where you're at, the condition of your heart, the position of your mind? You want God to say, oh my goodness, that pleases me so much. This is where Solomon was at because God loves humility. He loves humility. He loves it when his children rely upon him.

And it's so funny because sometimes we try so hard to be independent, but God loves it when his children rely upon him, when his people ask him for help, when his people recognize their need and their condition and look to God to meet the need. God is so pleased. You know, there's the saying, God helps those who help themselves. Nothing could be further from the truth. He's not trying to, you know,

Wait for you to help yourself, to figure everything out, to get all things in order. God loves it when you come with your humility and say, look, this is my condition and I'm stuck in it. Whether it be a big task ahead of you or a big challenge that you're facing personally or some issue of sin that you're challenged with and wrestling with. Whatever the case may be, you come before God in that humility, in that honesty, saying,

And you ask God for help. God is pleased. Even if you haven't perfected it yet, even if you haven't got a plan yet, even if you're not able to tell God, all right, God, here's what we need to do for the next 10 years. We're going to do this for the first three years. And then after that, you know, you don't have to have that. God has that. He's pleased, not because we come up with a solution, not because we show some great strength. He's pleased when we come to him in humility saying, I'm broken. There's things in my life I can't handle.

God, I need you to help me because these things are bigger than me. And that pleases God more than you could know. And so God says, behold, I've done according to your words. I'm so happy with you, Solomon. I'm so pleased by your request. I'm answering that request. I've given you a wise and an understanding heart. You're going to have what you need to fulfill this role as king.

You're going to have everything that you need, all the wisdom that you need to deal with the various decisions and situations that you're going to face. But not only that, God didn't just give him the bare minimum of what he needed. I'm giving you the wisdom that you need and nothing more. Don't ask me for anything else. That's not how God gives to us. Instead, he goes on to say in verse 12, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.

This was more than Solomon asked for. Solomon didn't ask God, here's what I'd like. I would like to be the wisest man who ever lives on the earth. That's not what Solomon asked for. Solomon asked for enough wisdom for the situations that he would face as king. And God says, I'll do you one better. I'm going to give you so much wisdom, nobody else is going to compare to you. You're going to have more wisdom and understanding than anyone in all history. You're going to be known for the rest of eternity as wise.

That one who had great wisdom from God. He didn't ask for that, but God gave him his request and then so much more. This is the way that God works. In fact, you're encouraged to ask for wisdom in the same way. James tells us in James 1.5, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God. This is what Solomon did. Who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Boy, this chapter, chapter 3, is a great illustration of James 1.5. Because first of all, God didn't reproach Solomon and say, well, you know, technically, Solomon, you're not supposed to be offering sacrifices here. Technically, you're supposed to be in Jerusalem. Technically, you know, don't forget this little detail. God did not reproach Solomon, even though he didn't have it exactly right. He loved God. He was devoted to God.

And as Solomon asked for wisdom, you know what God did? He gave liberally, generously. I'll give you the wisdom that you need and then some more. And James tells us we are to do the same. Do you lack wisdom? Now going back to point number two, I hope that you know that you do. Express your need to God. You need wisdom. There's no way that you can face the family situations that you face in your own strength and in your own wisdom, in your own understanding.

And to have the outcome be the best that it can be. You just can't do it. In your workplace, you can't handle it in your own wisdom and understanding and training and resources. In ministry, you can't handle it on your own and with what you have. In every case, in every scenario, whatever you could dream up in your mind or whatever you actually face in life, there is nothing that we face that we could handle without wisdom from God and have the outcome be

what's best for us and the people around us. We could come up with clever solutions. We could come up with great strategies, but it will never be the best that it can be without the wisdom from God. And here's God so generous saying, I'll give you wisdom and then some. And why was God so generous? It's because Solomon's heart was in the right place.

God says, because you've asked this thing, you haven't asked for long life, you haven't asked me to kill your enemies, you haven't asked, you know, for all these other things that you could have asked for, but your focus was on, God, I want to serve you the best I can. I want to be a good steward of the things that you've entrusted to me. I want to love your people and serve your people the best way possible. God says, your heart's in the right place.

I'm going to give you everything that you need and more. In addition to extra wisdom, God poured out other blessings also. In verse 13, he says, I've given you what you've not asked for, riches and honor, so that there will not be anyone like you among all the kings of your days. Not just wisdom was given to Solomon, but wealth, honor, things he could have asked for, but didn't. God says, I'm going to give you those things as well. God is so generous.

He loves to give liberally. He loves to overflow his people, his children with blessing. And so again, I would say whatever plan you come up with for your life, it's never going to be anywhere near as good as God's plan. And if your plan is for riches and honor and you chase after that, you're not going to get there. If you get some of it, it's not going to be satisfying. But if you will chase after God's will and God's plan, and it's God's plan to do that for you,

well, then you'll receive it in a magnificently different way. God's plan for you is better, far above whatever you could think about or seek after. G. Campbell Morgan says it this way, long life, wealth, and victory are all good when they come as a bestowment from God.

Should a man seek them from selfish motives, rather than to fulfill the divine purpose, they would in all probability prove to be curses rather than blessings. Sometimes the thing that we think is going to satisfy us becomes painful and hurtful and harmful to us. And so our focus must not be to figure out the solution and then pursue after that. But our focus needs to be to draw near to God, express our need to God, and

and let god lead us and direct us in the things that we need check out this encouragement from the apostle john in first john chapter 1 verse 5 he says this is the confidence that we have in him if we ask anything according to his will he hears us and if we know that he hears us whatever we ask we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of him here's a great promise a confidence john says

that we have in jesus christ if we ask anything according to the will of god he hears us and you know if he hears you that you have the request that you've asked for here solomon makes a request according to the will of god god i need wisdom from you to help me do what you've called me to do god says that's my will for you i'm going to do that for you and more the key for us is not to figure out the solution to whatever situation we're facing

The key for us is to come to God and ask him for his will, to learn and discern his will, not our solution, but God's will. And when we ask according to the will of God, when we ask because we know this is what God wants to do in my life, this is what God wants to do in this situation, then we have this confidence. He hears us and we for sure have that request.

Because it's God's desire to bless us and to work mightily in our lives. And his plan is better, far better than anything we could ever come up with. And so we see this incredible response. Solomon draws near to God and shares his need to God. And God responds and just overflows him with a generous response. Now as we finish up in verse 14 and 15, it gives us point number four. And that is keep walking close to God.

And this is a real challenging part of this whole process. Verse 14 says,

So notice what happened. Solomon was in the wrong place offering sacrifices. God met him. He understood from that encounter the right place. He goes back to Jerusalem and there he offers the sacrifices. So he works out those details.

God's able to handle those things. But in verse 14, God gives a condition. He tells Solomon, if you walk in my ways, here's what I'm going to do for you. I'm going to do for you more than you asked and more than you dreamed. Now, if you walk in my ways and keep my statutes, I will lengthen your days. There's a condition here. God says, I'm requiring something of you. I'm giving you more than you've asked for, but I also am asking for you to continue to

in this path that you're on. Walk in my ways and keep on walking after me. Keep on seeking after me in this way. And this was an important exhortation and condition because, well, we find out later on Solomon deviates. He doesn't continue this path for the rest of his life. He doesn't continue this condition of feeling that he needs God and seeking God for wisdom. He later on begins to rely upon his own wisdom.

And he's wise, wiser than anyone else in the earth. But he never became so wise that he stopped needing wisdom from God. But he thought he did. And he began to operate according to his own thoughts and his own ways. And he didn't seek after God and draw near to God in the way that he did here in chapter 3. It's hard for us to maintain that course as well. It's easy for us to get established in

As believers in the Lord, as those who seek after God, and God does a mighty work in our life, but there's a tendency for us to become established and comfortable. And at one time, we were there before God in such honesty and humility and relying upon God in such a great degree, but we have forgotten how much we need God. Solomon became the wisest fool who ever lived. Later on in his life, as he walked away from God, he became miserable because

and searching desperately for meaning and purpose in life because he was so miserable. And the book of Ecclesiastes records that journey as he tried to find fulfillment in all these other things because he had wandered and strayed. Instead of drawing near to God, walking close to God, he began to rely upon himself. You and I never come to a place where we stop needing God as much as we needed him at those greatest points of need in our life.

We go on into later points of life where we don't feel that need so much. It's not so real to us at the moment, but the reality hasn't changed. We don't perceive it necessarily, but the reality hasn't changed. And you need God and his wisdom and his work in your life to pay the bills. Today, when you have, you know,

$20,000 in the bank, the same as you did when you had negative $2,000 in the bank and you were crying out desperately for God. But now I have $20,000 in the bank, so I don't cry out so desperately anymore. I don't rely upon God and look to God in the same way as I once did, right? But in actuality, the need hasn't changed, but your perception of the need has changed and you stop crying out. You stop drawing near. It's so easy and it happens to all of us.

And so here we need to learn from Solomon's example. Keep walking close to God. Draw near to him. Express your need for him. God's going to do a great work in your life. Now, walk in that relationship with God and keep on drawing near to him. Keep yourself in that position of humility and expressing to God that you need him and that you rely upon him.

I'm going to invite Ronnie up to close us in a worship song so that we have an opportunity to just do that right now. Draw near to God and express our need to him and continue that walk. And if you have been self-reliant and independent and trusting in your own resources, then it's a good opportunity here for you to kind of come back to your senses. And Solomon, although he wandered later on, he did. He came back to his senses and he remembered.

What was best for him was to seek after God. And so let's take this time and just allow God to minister to our hearts about that if there are those areas in our lives to draw near to him. And I want to finish up with this quotation and then we'll enter into this closing song. It's from F.B. Meyer. He encourages us to do this. Live deep in God. Do not be dazzled or fascinated by outward things. Be concerned to know God's will and become the organ of his purpose.

He will add to you all else that is needful for the fulfillment of your life course. He's going to give you everything that you need, he says. You don't have to worry about resolving all the things and finding all the solutions. Here's what you need to focus on. Here's what I need to focus on. Live deep in God. Draw near to him and let him give you what you need and provide above and beyond that. And so let's get back to where we need to be.

Drawing near to God and relying upon Him this morning as we close this time in worship. We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.