Get an Understanding Heart
All through life we face daily decisions as well as major decisions—which school you’ll go to, what vocation you’ll pursue, who you’ll marry, what house you’ll buy, how to save and spend your money. You may be standing at the threshold of a major decision today, wondering how you can resurrect your marriage or pay your bills. While the weighty decisions you face can feel overwhelming, God says that what you need is His wisdom.
Think about King Solomon. He was probably only nineteen or twenty years old when he took the throne. His father, David, had built up a great nation, and now it was all on the shoulders of Solomon to reign over. One night God appeared to him in a dream and said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” (1 Kings 3:5). You can imagine that he could have asked for money, for fame, for a long life, but the young king answered, “God, what I need is Your wisdom to rule Your people. I need an understanding heart to make the right decisions.” God was so pleased with his answer that He not only gave Solomon wisdom, but He gave him power, influence and great riches.
Just as Solomon needed wisdom, we need wisdom. He says we are to “search for it as for hidden treasure…For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright” (Proverbs 2:4–7). It’s interesting that we have unlimited amounts of information available to us, but what we really need is wisdom, not information. Wisdom comes by understanding and finding the knowledge of God and applying it to our life. You can have tons of information and even know God’s Word, but if you don’t apply it, it’s not going to do you any good.
We are to ask God to give us wisdom so we have an understanding heart to make right decisions. The Scripture says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5). And one of the best places to go for wisdom is the book of Proverbs, which was written by King Solomon. It’s a book that’s full of advice and life lessons, simple in its form, easy to digest, and easy to apply. That’s what wisdom is. It’s a simple revelation of God that we can apply to our everyday lives.
Ask for wisdom and read the book of Proverbs. Read it and reread it over and over again. It is loaded with powerful nuggets of wisdom for your life.
Think about King Solomon. He was probably only nineteen or twenty years old when he took the throne. His father, David, had built up a great nation, and now it was all on the shoulders of Solomon to reign over. One night God appeared to him in a dream and said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” (1 Kings 3:5). You can imagine that he could have asked for money, for fame, for a long life, but the young king answered, “God, what I need is Your wisdom to rule Your people. I need an understanding heart to make the right decisions.” God was so pleased with his answer that He not only gave Solomon wisdom, but He gave him power, influence and great riches.
Just as Solomon needed wisdom, we need wisdom. He says we are to “search for it as for hidden treasure…For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright” (Proverbs 2:4–7). It’s interesting that we have unlimited amounts of information available to us, but what we really need is wisdom, not information. Wisdom comes by understanding and finding the knowledge of God and applying it to our life. You can have tons of information and even know God’s Word, but if you don’t apply it, it’s not going to do you any good.
We are to ask God to give us wisdom so we have an understanding heart to make right decisions. The Scripture says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5). And one of the best places to go for wisdom is the book of Proverbs, which was written by King Solomon. It’s a book that’s full of advice and life lessons, simple in its form, easy to digest, and easy to apply. That’s what wisdom is. It’s a simple revelation of God that we can apply to our everyday lives.
Ask for wisdom and read the book of Proverbs. Read it and reread it over and over again. It is loaded with powerful nuggets of wisdom for your life.