Gospel Reflections #301: What do you ask for?

1 Kings 4:29 "God has blessed Solomon with a great abundance of wisdom and insight and a heart as broad as the sand on the seashore."

Did God specially bless Solomon? God appeared to Solomon in a dream at night and said, "Ask what I will give you. Solomon confessed to God his own immaturity in response to God's decision to make him king in place of his father David, and asked God, "Therefore give your servant a discerning heart, that he may judge your people, and that I may learn to know right from wrong.

God responded to Solomon's request in this way.

"For thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked long life for thyself, nor riches for thyself, nor the life of thine enemies, but only wisdom to hear thy complaint; behold, I will give thee a wise and enlightened heart, according to thy word. I will also give thee what thou didst not ask for, namely, riches and honor."

I believe that God did not specifically bless Solomon, but rather God gave Solomon what Solomon asked for because Solomon's request was in the Lord's will.

Often when we ask God for something, we say it is for someone else or for God, but we do not realize that we are actually asking for ourselves.

God is a God who gives us everything we ask for if what we ask for is in His will, and He even gives us what we do not ask for.

Solomon was not special. Like Solomon, God responds to our requests.

We, too, are asked by God, "What shall I give you? We are asked, "What shall I give you, ask."

What do you ask for?

This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San who lives in Hiroshima, Japan. She is a devoted student of the Bible who passionately embraces the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on the Gospels as a way to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through the Christ-centered approach of Biblical Reflections. We're sharing her message here so that you too can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel message that has filled her heart.