Discover God's Wisdom
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
5 One night while Solomon was in Gibeon, the God appeared to him in a dream and said, “Solomon, ask for anything you want, and I will give it to you.” 6 Solomon answered: My father David, your servant, was honest and did what you commanded. You were always loyal to him, and you gave him a son who is now king. 7 God, I'm your servant, and you've made me king in my father's place. But I'm very young and know so little about being a leader. 8 And now I must rule your chosen people, even though there are too many of them to count. 9 Please make me wise and teach me the difference between right and wrong. Then I will know how to rule your people. If you don't, there is no way I could rule this great nation of yours. 10 God said: Solomon, I'm pleased that you asked for this. You could have asked to live a long time or to be rich. Or you could have asked for your enemies to be destroyed. Instead, you asked for wisdom to make right decisions. 11 12 So I'll make you wiser than anyone who has ever lived or ever will live. 13 I'll also give you what you didn't ask for. You'll be rich and respected as long as you live, and you'll be greater than any other king. 14 If you obey me and follow my commands, as your father David did, I'll let you live a long time. 15 Solomon woke up and realized that God had spoken to him in the dream. He went back to Jerusalem and stood in front of the sacred chest, where he offered sacrifices to please the Lord and sacrifices to ask his blessing. Then Solomon gave a feast for his officials.
I Kings 3:5-15
Memory Verse
Jeremiah 9:23-24
23 If you feel you must brag, then have enough sense to brag about worshiping me, the . What I like best is showing kindness, justice, and mercy to everyone on earth. 24 Someday I will punish the nations of Egypt, Edom, Ammon, and Moab, and the tribes of the desert. The men of these nations are circumcised, but they don't worship me. And it's the same with you people of Judah. Your bodies are circumcised, but your hearts are unchanged.
What do you think of when you hear the word “wise?” Maybe you think of a grandparent, a teacher, or even an owl. It may seem that wise people have all the answers. But did you know that the wisest people are the ones that come to God with questions? Wisdom is not about relying on your own smarts or experience. It’s about asking God for his guidance!
There was a young man named Solomon who became king. It was a big job for someone so young and inexperienced! God appeared to Solomon in a dream and told him to ask for anything he wanted. Solomon admitted he didn’t know much about being a leader. He asked God to make him wise and teach him the difference between right and wrong. Solomon wasn’t asking to become powerful, strong, or rich. He knew he needed wisdom to rule God’s people and make a positive impact in the world.
We can come to God for his wisdom to tell right from wrong. Like Solomon, we don’t need to pretend we have all the answers. Instead, we can come to God with our questions, and he will open our eyes!
Prayer
Dear God, you have wisdom greater than I can imagine. Please show me the difference between right and wrong, and teach me how to follow you with the way I live my life. As I read my Bible and ask questions about you, please make me wise. Amen.Related Resources
Areo Keller-Donahue
As soon as Areo could pick up a popsicle stick, she was making puppets and putting on plays that shared her faith with her neighbors. Areo grew up with a strong interest in musical theatre and earned her BFA at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Areo was led to use artistic gifts to share the gospel with young ones, and she became involved in ministry. She has worked in children's ministry at Redeemer Upper West Side and North Way Christian Community and is currently developing a musical live-action series that celebrates faith and fun. Areo and her husband live in Pittsburgh, where they enjoy spending time with their families and adorable cat, Daisy.