Who doesn’t want to find a treasure chest filled with gold, silver or precious jewels? Pirates, as well as many a seafaring soul, spent their lives searching for such treasure, killing, kidnapping, stealing, doing whatever they could in order to find that treasure. But just how valuable are gold, silver and jewels anyway? After you spend them, they are gone. They are temporary. They don’t last forever. Did you know the Bible is filled with treasures? Treasures more valuable than gold, silver and jewels—treasures that last forever. To find these treasures, one needs only to start digging.
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 NIV).
Wow! Whatever he wants? How many of us could accept such a gift without abusing it? When God offered Solomon “whatever,” I am sure He meant it. No matter what Solomon would have said, God would have given it to him. It was a gift. God loved Solomon and could have given him everything without even asking Solomon what he wanted. God trusted Solomon to make the right choice, and he did.
Verse 9: So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
Could we be that selfless? Solomon didn’t think of himself, only of the people that were entrusted to him.
I believe that if Solomon would have asked for more than wisdom, God would have given it to him, but I don’t think his life would have been blessed as much. Because he only asked for wisdom, he proved he deserved more than that.
Verse 13: 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.
God gave Solomon the wisdom that he asked for, plus everything that he did not ask for, because of the way Solomon responded. He was blessed beyond measure because he humbled himself before God. We need to follow Solomon’s example. We need to ask God for wisdom—and He will give it to us. We just need to open up our hearts to receive it.
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you (James 1:5 NIV).
God has given us the same gift as Solomon. If we respond to Him with humble hearts and are not greedy, we will be given what we need in this life.
Open up the Bible, ask God for wisdom and begin your treasure hunt!
Debbie Mitchell