If God would appear to you today, and ask you to choose only ONE thing that you want more than anything else, what will your answer be? I have asked a few people during this week, and my own thoughts also caught me off guard. It really was not that godly.
Why didn’t I ask for the wisdom of Solomon? Or for a heart like David’s? Solomon asked for wisdom, and because of this wise decision he got everything else. But maybe we should ask for a heart like David’s. After all, he was a man after the Father’s heart.
In 1 Kings 3: 5 – 14 we read that the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you”. When Solomon asked God to give him a discerning heart to govern His people, God was pleased. And since he did not ask for a long life, or wealth, or the death of his enemies, the Lord granted His request. He had immense powers of knowledge and discernment. Moreover, He gave him all the extras he did not ask for – riches and honor. He also got the promise of a reward of a long life if he was obedient. There was no equal to Solomon.
Unfortunately, Solomon had a weakness for women (he is human), got trapped and this led to his downfall. Not only his, but a whole nation fell with him.
Acts 13: 22 “After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do”
David, Solomon’s father, on the other hand, made me think again. He might be my ONE choice in the end. Last week I was reading Psalms and found so many gems, including the reasons why David was a man after God’s heart:
1. He was humble – he was opposed to pride (Psalm 62: 9). It became clear in his youth when he became known as the giant-slayer. He did not become ‘puffed up’, he knew from the start that he conquered in the Name of the Lord.
2. He was reverent – he said God was worthy of praise (Psalm 18: 3)
3. He was respectful – he respected God for who He is (Psalm 31: 9)
4. He trusted God for his salvation – he said God is his salvation (Psalm 27: 1)
5. He loved God and called Him his strength (Psalm 18: 1)
6. He was devoted and thankful to God for his joy (Psalm 4: 7)
7. He gave God recognition and talked about His wonders (Psalm 9: 1)
8. He was obedient to God and kept His law (Psalm 119: 34)
9. He was repentant and asked for forgiveness (Psalm 25: 11)
10. He was selfless and merciful to others – he refrained from killing Saul when Saul had his back turned to him. He was not a backstabber. While Absalom, his own son, betrayed him, he was devastated when he died.
Yes, David made many mistakes (he is human). Don’t we all? But he surrendered all he had and all he was to God. He praised Him for Who He is, even in troubled times. Whenever he committed a sin, he confessed and turned back 180 degrees. He prayed to his Father - A LOT. In my Bible, all praises are colored with a blue pencil. Wherever there is prayer involved, the color I use is yellow. When you turn the pages of Psalms, it is blue and yellow everywhere. Mind you, those two colors are meant to be together.
Like David, I want to make it a habit to praise God more than twice a day. In Psalm 119: 164 David says: “Seven times a day I praise You”. When we are busy praising God and praying to Him, there will not be time to focus on the nitty gritty stuff happening in our lives.
How can we live as women after God’s own heart?
Be a woman who cares about the ‘why’ behind her actions. Live in harmony with Him. Listen to Him and follow Him. If He leads you in one way, don’t be like a stubborn mule and pull the other way. In Matt 6: 21 we read: “For where your treasure is there you heart will be also.” Thus, we should give our hearts to Him completely.
Reflect: Do you perhaps treasure your online presence more than you should? Are the posts on social media taking your time away from spending time with the Lord? Or the strive to be and look perfect? God does not look at your outer appearance when He calls you to be His ambassador. He is not looking at your jewelry, your clothes, your car, your house, your make-up (or the lack of it), before He decides if you are made of the right material to be used. No. God is not obsessing about the things that you may be obsessed about. He is looking at your heart. Focus on your heart. Is it pure? Is it servant-minded?
The best news is: to get that ONE thing only, you need to do ONE thing only...Lay down all your fears, your burdens and your wants. Lay them down at the FEET of Jesus. Only then, will you receive the HEART of David and the MIND of Solomon.
Important to remember, is that Solomon was not born this wise. His wisdom was bestowed on him by God.
1 Thessalonians 5: 23 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [that is, separate you from profane and vulgar things, make you pure and whole and undamaged – consecrated to Him – set apart for His purpose]; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete and [be found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”
When we need to go to war against a giant or two in our lives, may we have the faith of David and the wisdom of Solomon. No matter how big, strong and mighty those giants seem, we can face them and conquer them in the Name of the ALMIGHTY.
WISDOM IS TO SERVE THE LORD WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART, MIND AND BODY!
CHOOSE WISELY! CHOOSE WISDOM!
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