What Would You Ask for?

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

WOW…can you imagine this? God personally coming to you to tell you that He will give you whatever you want!? This passage has always…I’m not sure I have words to describe the feelings this passage evokes in me. I’m in awe of God. I’m in awe that He chooses to give us such personal care and attention to meet all our individual needs in such a detailed manner…

The psalmist question pops in my mind as I contemplate the actions of The Most High God:

what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? Psalm 8: 4

The same God who speaks and galaxies are created looks at us, has a plan for us and watches over us as a loving Father…unfathomable…

But true!

Imagine that one night God decides to come to you as He did to Solomon…and said the same thing to you…“Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” What would you say?

I heard Pastor Rick Warren on the radio the other day talking about this. He was analyzing how Solomon’s answer was pretty much the perfect answer to God’s inquiry. Pastor Warren went over how wisdom permeates into every aspect of your life and puts us in a position where we can be able to choose the right path and make the right choices all the time.

Yes, Solomon was inspired by the Holy Spirit to request wisdom, no doubt. However, I kept thinking, Solomon’s answer, though perfect from the eyes of humanity, seems a bit faulty through the eyes of the soul. What Solomon asked of the Lord was a way to be self-sufficient. Solomon wanted to be able to make good decisions on his own. In a way, I see it as if he didn’t want to depend on God.

In God’s economy, self-reliance doesn’t really take us to a good place. It takes us to a place of disobedience. It takes us to a place far from God. It usually takes us to pride.

Total dependence on Him, the Maker of Heavens and Earth is what moves us closer to the heart of God. Although we are called to pray for wisdom and discernment…why would I seek God’s mind and the knowledge of His ways and the assurance of His promises if I were all-wise and all-discerning? Why would I seek His Face if I thought I knew it all and had it all figured out on my own?

I mean, I don’t know…maybe I’m just babbling here…but, what ended up happening to Solomon?

Well, Solomon built the Temple and a spectacular palace for himself. His life became one of splendor and marvelous things happened.

King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift—articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules. 1 Kings 10: 23-25

I don’t know about you, but if I were praised internationally as the wisest woman on Earth, that would rapidly go to my head!

As it happens, all these fame and fortune apparently did go to the King’s head too. Solomon eventually decided that it was OK to satisfy the appetites of his flesh, and he not only loved many foreign women and brought them to his palace as his wives, but he built places of worship so they could burn offerings and offer sacrifices to their gods. (1 Kings 11)

These decisions were not in accord to God’s provision that he’d walk faithfully before Him and keep his integrity and the Lord’s commands. (1 Kings 9)

Pride took over. He thought he knew better. He thought he could bend God’s rules. He forgot to read the not-so-small-print at the end of the contract between him and God:

“But if you or your descendants turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why the Lord brought all this disaster on them.’” (1 Kings 9: 6-9)

Back to my initial question: what would you say if God ever came to you and said: “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

Hmmmm

I think I would ask for Him to give me the ability to trust Him in such a way that I can finally achieve peace in my spirit. The good news is that He already gives us that. As we know, He is trustworthy and His Word is action and truth. So, since He has promised that as we trust Him, the peace that surpasses all understanding will be ours…I guess I would just ask for His will to be done.

God is not a gene that comes to us when we rub a magic lamp to grant us the wishes of our flesh and heart. He is the All-Powerful God who loves us in a way that is deepest, widest, tallest and longest than any other type of love we’ve ever known. Therefore, I choose to trust His wisdom to be manifested in my life as He walks beside me on the path that He has designed for me. As for the rest…I’m sure He’s got it covered.