Desires Godly Wisdom

Desires Godly Wisdom

A HERO’S TALE

Imagine that God gave you one wish and you could ask for anything in the world. What would it be?

• A million dollars?
• Superhero powers?
• Every single video game in existence?
• A lifetime supply of Brussels sprouts? (Just kidding.)

Wow, that would be incredible, wouldn’t it? Well, that’s exactly what happened to King Solomon.

When Solomon first took over Israel’s throne after his father, David, died, God came to him in a dream one night and said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!” (1 Kings 3:5). What an amazing opportunity! Solomon could’ve asked for anything —money, power, fame, long life, the destruction of his enemies, etc. Instead, he asked for wisdom. “Give me the wisdom and knowledge to lead [my people] properly,” Solomon said in 2 Chronicles 1:10, “for who could possibly govern this great people of yours?”

God was so pleased with Solomon’s request, he not only granted it but also lavished him with immeasurable riches. “King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth. People from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him” (1 Kings 10:23-24).

DECODING THE MESSAGE

Solomon possessed great godly wisdom. But not all wisdom is godly. The Bible warns us about worldly wisdom, which doesn’t acknowledge God’s existence or care about obeying him (see 1 Corinthians 1). That kind of wisdom isn’t really wisdom at all. It’s the worst kind of foolishness —and it eventually leads to spiritual death.

As today’s verse says, the first step in being truly wise is “fearing the Lord,” or submitting your life to him.

Godly wisdom

• acknowledges that God made the universe;
• knows that God is in charge, and we’re not;
• understands that we were made to worship God with our lives;
• admits that we desperately need a Savior because our sins separate us from God;
• believes the only way for us to be right with God is to turn from our sins and trust in God’s perfect Son, Jesus, who died on the cross to take away our punishment; and
• believes that we should live according to the Bible, God’s holy Word.

So get smart! Be a true hero for God who pursues godly wisdom.

BATTLE PLAN

Putting God’s Word in your heart will help you gain godly wisdom, so start a Bible memorization plan. There are lots of different ones out there. Ask your parents to help you pick one that’s best for you.