That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Ephesians 1:17-19
Once David knew that Solomon would be the next king after him, he began an intensive training program to impart the most essential things his son would need to know in order to rule well. One of the things David told Solomon was this, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7). In light of that instruction it is not a surprise that when God presented him with a blank check, a twenty year old who had just taken power did not ask for riches or military might or glory, but for a wise and understanding heart.
We live in a world with a desperate need for wisdom. Knowledge is piling up faster and faster, but wisdom seems to be in short supply. J. Oswald Sanders wrote, “If knowledge is the accumulation of facts, intelligence the development of reason, wisdom is heavenly discernment. It is insight into the heart of things. Wisdom involves knowing God and the subtleties of the human heart. More than knowledge, it is the right application of knowledge in moral and spiritual matters, in handling dilemmas, in negotiating complex relationships.”
As children of God we are offered access to all of the wisdom we will ever need, but we must take advantage of the offer to receive it. James wrote, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). We should recognize our need for God’s wisdom and be seeking it from Him on a regular basis.
