The Right Response

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

THE RIGHT RESPONSE

1 Kings 3:6-15

6 Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. 7 "Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 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?" 10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for — both riches and honor — so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life." 15 Then Solomon awoke — and he realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord's covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.

NIV

The Lord had told Solomon that he could ask for anything he wanted the Lord to give him, and now he responds. First, above all, before asking, Solomon gives praise to the LORD for his kindness to Solomon’s father, David. He honors his father by reminding, although the LORD already knows, that David was faithful to the LORD and righteous and upright in heart. Then Solomon thanks the LORD for the kindness he had shown his father by putting his son on the throne this very day.  Now comes the request, and it is different from the give me, let me have, I want more, bigger, and better stuff, or help me lose weight, or look better, anything else that is centered on self. Solomon asks for a discerning heart so that he might be able to govern the people the LORD has chosen, a great people, too numerous to count. I cannot do it alone; I need your guidance, I need your wisdom, and all I ask is for a discerning heart to be able to rightly judge between what is right and wrong. What a response to, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you”. Of course, the LORD was pleased that Solomon did not ask for a long life and wealth for himself, or for the death of his enemies. This should remind us of what we have been told regarding seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. That should be the very heart of our lives. Of course, we would love to have a discerning heart, to know right from wrong, and to live in harmony with each other. We would also ask the Lord to give us the wisdom to live in peace with all men, and to fulfill the calling he has placed on each of our lives. If the Lord wants us to have a long life, that is up to him. If the Lord wants us to have good things, that too is up to him. If the Lord wants to bless us with whatever, it is totally up to him. Although Jesus said that he calls us friends, we are still servants of the Lord, and our desire should always be to do whatever he has for us. Although Solomon lived during a time when offering sacrifices was acceptable, we are only required to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to the Lord. However, let us learn this lesson well, that although we can ask anything in the name of Jesus and he will do it, we should always be asking for his will to be done, and that our hearts would be right before him, and that we would know the difference between right and wrong. When asked, let us give the right response.