**My Scripture reading has taken me to 1 Kings recently. In the beginning of this book David passes away after naming his son Solomon, born to he and Bathsheba, as king of Israel. Solomon does so with great humility and meekness. What a daunting task this must have seemed to be for Solomon. We see his realization that he cannot rule as a just king without the help of his God when Yahweh comes to him and tells him to ask whatever he would of the Lord. Solomon doesn’t ask for riches or power. Before he even responds to God in request, he praises God for being steadfast in His love and faithful towards Israel.
Then, he responds with “I am but a little child, I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 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?” (I Kings 3:5-9). Solomon knew he had nothing. But what he did ask was that whatever the Lord would give him in terms of wisdom and knowledge and understanding would be used for others. For the furthering of God’s kingdom and the hallowing of His name in all the earth. And God did just that. It pleased God to give him a breadth of wisdom that no man had ever had before, or has had since. This knowledge, this deep wisdom, glorified God. All people came from every nation to hear of the wisdom that Solomon spoke; “for he spoke of trees, animals, and birds, and of reptiles, and fish. And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom” (I Kings 4:32-34).
This sort of asking, both from God and from Solomon, challenged me in a fresh new way. The asking of God, the petitioning of Him to move His hand in a way that would glorify Himself and be a way to serve others is what makes His name known. That’s the kind of asking I want to do. “You have not because you ask not” so says Jesus… So, I created in response to this.
Asking
How much more can the Lord do
When we pray and ask
For Him to respond to
All the needs and desires we carry?
When I pray He has been faithful
To give what is needed in time
And to bless me with His kindness
So that He is the One that I find.
I believe You are telling me to ask
“Ask and see what I can do”…
Lord, upon no request will you pass,
What mountain can’t you move?
All of this is Yours first, my Lord,
All the gifts and blessings given,
Great riches You own, my Father
As I one day will inherit all of Heaven.
I hear Him tell me to ask
Just as He did with Solomon that night,
So I ask boldly for a knowledge,
An understanding to confound the wise.
Wisdom to know how to love,
Knowledge to understand your world,
Discernment between good and evil,
A double portion of Your Word.
Make all this come to pass
For the glory of Your great name,
So that whoever’s life brushes against mine
Together we’ll sing of your fame.
Whether it is numbers, fish, or birds,
Or parts of the body You created,
Let my mind receive all it can, Oh God
So that in all the earth You will be celebrated.
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