“But first, be concerned about His kingdom and what has His approval. Then all these things will be provided for you.” (Mat. 6:33 GWT)
The other day I was reading about a man named Solomon. Solomon loved the Lord and the Lord loved Solomon. Out of his love for the Lord, Solomon goes to a place of worship and offers 1,000 burnt offerings. That same night the Lord appears to Solomon in a dream and says: “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!” (1 Kings 3:7-9 NLT)
Ok, let’s stop right there for just a moment and consider something. Suppose the Lord were to appear to us in a dream and ask “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!” Seriously, think about it. If we could ask God for anything we wanted and knew He was going to give it to us, what would it be? Ok, hold that thought and let’s continue on…
Alright, here is Solomon’s chance to ask God for ANYTHING! We are about to witness a perfect example of blessings being provided to a man who is concerned first and foremost with God and His Kingdom. Would you carefully observe Solomon’s response to God’s question?
“Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?” (1 Kings 3:10-13 NLT)
Isn’t that beautiful? I see in Solomon a heart of humility. I also see in him a desire to know God’s heart so that he may govern His people well. He desires to live a life that pleases His Father. Above anything that he could have asked for, Solomon asks God for wisdom and seeks to please Him! And because his heart is in the right condition, listen to what God says to him:
“The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies—I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life!”
Gosh, what a beautiful picture God has painted for us through the heart of Solomon. When our heart is in the right condition – humble and surrendered to God and His ways - He will give us everything we need and some things we didn’t even ask for! Talk about provision! He is the God of more than enough!
Let’s seek first His Kingdom and what has His approval. As we do, He will abundantly supply all of our needs in a glorious way through Christ Jesus! He is faithful!