If You Could Have One Thing?

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. (Prov. 4:7 )
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​Yesterday I wrote about wisdom and on becoming wise and, of course, when we think about some of the wisest people in the Bible we can learn from, we tend to think about Solomon.  In fact, Solomon’s wisdom was world famous in that day and age.  We are told in 1 Kings 10 that “when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions.”  Solomon answered all her questions and so she says to him, “The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom, but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I heard” (vv.6-7).  Solomon was extremely wise beyond his years, but this did not happen by chance and had nothing to do with genetics.  Seven chapters earlier God came to Solomon in a dream and asked him the one question we all dream about.  You know, that secret desire that some day we might find a lamp that a genie pops out of and says, “Your wish is my command.”  Oh, what we would ask for if we were just granted one wish to have anything we want.  What would it be?  Money?  Possessions?  World peace?  In 1 Kings 3, God comes to Solomon and says, ‘Ask me for one thing and I will give it to you.  Name it.’  What does Solomon ask for?  “Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”  He asked for wisdom.  How often do we pray for wisdom?  How often do we specifically pray, “Lord, please make me wise; please grant me wisdom and a heart of understanding?”  James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”  Above all else what we need is wisdom.  Wisdom to know how to live the Christian life.  Wisdom to know how to strengthen our marriage.  Wisdom to know how to parent our children.  Wisdom to know how to manage our finances.  Wisdom to know how best to serve the church.  Wisdom is the key to a long and happy life.  Yet, so often we pray for everyone else and everything else except wisdom.