Solomon's wish

“So give Your servant a discerning heart to govern Your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?” 1 Kings 3:9
Here in 1 Kings 3 we see Solomon at the beginning of his reign as king, being given a blank cheque from God, an open invitation to ask for anything he wanted. As we all know, Solomon asked God for wisdom, and God was pleased with his request (1 Kin. 3:10). He noted that Solomon could have asked for riches and honour, but he didn’t; so God promised to give him these also (1 Kin. 3:11-13).
However, we also know the tragic story of what happened to Solomon in his later years. Despite all this wisdom, he allowed his heart to be turned away from God by the many foreign wives that he took (1 Kin. 11:3-4).
Wisdom is an honourable thing to ask God for (James 1:5). But knowing God and having a heart that fears Him, is much more. When the prophet Elisha was in a similar situation, being asked by Elijah what he would like, his answer was, ‘Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit’ (2 Kin. 2:9). Imagine if Solomon had asked to have a heart that loved God like his father David did. We can only speculate, but I imagine God would have been even more pleased, and would have also given him the wisdom that he became so renown for, as well as wealth and honour and peace in the land.
Solomon assumed that he would not fall away from God, that his spiritual walk was safe. We can do the same thing. But if we aren’t careful, our heart can grow cold and start following after other things. Make a commitment in your heart today to seek after God, to love Him with all your heart and soul and mind and strength (Mark 12:30). “Above all eles, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Prov. 4:23).