"Ask! What shall I give you?"

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Kings 1-3; Psalm 94

TO CHEW ON: "At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, 'Ask! What shall I give you?'" 1 Kings 3:5

I love the story of Solomon's requested granted! How can one help but be drawn to a king who has the humility to admit, 'I don't know how to do this'? How many times hasn't a similar cry come from my lips, perhaps yours too?

We can learn some lessons for our lives from Solomon's encounter with God.

1. We see earlier that Solomon wasn't perfect. At the beginning of his reign he was taken up with finishing kingly business for David, a bloody business, making an expedient political alliance with Egypt by marrying an Egyptian princess, and a few verses farther on, sacrificing at heathen "high places," though the writer assures us  "Solomon loved the LORD" - 1 Kings 3:1,3). Yet still God came through to help him.

• Similarly, we don't need to wait until we're perfect to ask for God's help.

2. God brought Solomon to a point of articulating his deepest thoughts, feelings, and anxieties. Perhaps God chose to come to Solomon in a dream because of how uninhibited we are while dreaming. 

• God can also help us come to a place of understanding where, exactly, we need His help. (Although we might also ask, where don't we need His help, we just don't realize it.)

3. Solomon asked for help to do his job—ruling Israel—in a just way.

• Though none of us has this assignment, we can ask God for help with the jobs we do have—raising our kids, performing at work as bosses or underlings, serving in church, perhaps leading a committee or as a member of a board or executive where things can get contentious...

4. On waking Solomon probably felt no different than on any other morning. But he went straight to Jerusalem and to 'church,'  "stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord," sacrificed offerings and feasted with his servants. By faith he celebrated God's answer to his request (1 Kings 3:15). 

• We too can expect God to answer our deepest requests. To solidify what these are, it helps if we write them down. Then in faith we can begin thanking God for His answers even as we watch how over the weeks, months, and years they become reality. We will see the proof in the feedback others give us and the fruit of our own lives!

PRAYER: Dear God, I need Your wisdom for ____. Please work in my life to help me do the tasks and shoulder the responsibilities You have given me. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 94

The Bible Project VIDEO: 1 & 2 Kings (Read Scripture series)




 

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

If you had one wish

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Kings 2:1-18

TO CHEW ON: "And so it was when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, 'Ask! What may I do for you before I am taken away from you?' Elisha said, 'Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.'" 2 Kings 2:9

I have always loved folktales where the characters are given wishes. "You can have three wishes…" fires up my imagination: What would I say if someone offered that to me? In the stories, usually the characters' choices have a hidden twist, showing the characters as foolish (e.g. "King Midas and the Golden Touch") or wise in what they wished for.

The Bible has its own brand of wish stories. Solomon and Esther were given the opportunity to make wishes. Another is in today's reading where Elijah asks Elisha what he can do for him before Elijah is taken into heaven. Elisha's answer: "Please let a double portion of your spirit be on me," is interesting. A footnote explanation in my Bible says:

"Since the double portion was the privilege of the firstborn (Deuteronomy 21:17), it has been suggested that Elisha is asking to be Elijah's successor. Yet this is more than just a petition to be Elijah's successor because that had already been established (1 Kings 19:16-21).


Elisha realized that he did not have the capability to fulfill the awesome responsibility of carrying on Elijah's work. As Elijah's successor, Elisha applies the principle of the firstborn to ask for a spiritual inheritance. This is described as the spirit of Elijah (2 Kings 2: 9, 15) and is either an indirect or direct reference to the Holy Spirit" p. 483, New Spirit Filled Life Bible.

You and I will probably never be asked what we wish for in such a straightforward way. However, any time we contemplate our lives in regard to goals, objectives and resolutions, we encounter a variant of this, couched in challenges like:

"If you could sum up the purpose of your life in one word, what word would you choose?


What would you want your epitaph to say?


Over the course of your life, what do you want to do? to be?

Elijah got it right. God's 'yes' to his request was so evident, the sons of the prophets remarked on the presence of Elijah's spirit visible in him even as he returned alone (2 Kings 2:15).

Likewise we need to think carefully and prayerfully about our wishes. For they may just come true!

PRAYER: Dear God, please give me the wisdom to see my life realistically and to desire and pursue only Your best for me. Amen.

MORE: Noble wishes

Here are some wishes to consider as we contemplate our personal wish lists.

- A thirst for and delight in God (Psalm 27:4; Psalm 63:1).
- A knowledge of right priorities (Psalm 37:4; Matthew 6:30-33)
- A love for and knowledge of God's word (Joshua 1:8; 1 Peter 2:2).
- The opportunity to impact many people and lead them to Christ (Daniel 12:3; Matthew 4:19; Luke 5:10).

Think about (and write out if you like) what you would say if you were given one wish.

(From the archives)

Do your 8-12-year-olds have daily devotions? Point them to Bible Drive-Thru.

If you had one wish

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Kings 2:1-18

TO CHEW ON: "And so it was when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, 'Ask! What may I do for you before I am taken away from you?' Elisha said, 'Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.'" 2 Kings 2:9

I have always loved folktales where the characters are given wishes. "You can have three wishes…" fires up my imagination: What would I say if someone offered that to me? In the stories, usually the characters' choices have a hidden twist, showing the characters as foolish (e.g. "King Midas and the Golden Touch") or wise in what they wished for.

The Bible has its own brand of wish stories. Solomon and Esther were given the opportunity to make wishes. Another is in today's reading where Elijah asks Elisha what he can do for him before Elijah is taken into heaven. Elisha's answer: "Please let a double portion of your spirit be on me," is interesting. A footnote explanation in my Bible says:

"Since the double portion was the privilege of the firstborn (Deuteronomy 21:17), it has been suggested that Elisha is asking to be Elijah's successor. Yet this is more than just a petition to be Elijah's successor because that had already been established (1 Kings 19:16-21).


Elisha realized that he did not have the capability to fulfill the awesome responsibility of carrying on Elijah's work. As Elijah's successor, Elisha applies the principle of the firstborn to ask for a spiritual inheritance. This is described as the spirit of Elijah (2 Kings 2: 9, 15) and is either an indirect or direct reference to the Holy Spirit.

The Hebrew word "spirit" has a wide range of meaning (it can refer to the human spirit, the Holy Spirit, an evil spirit, a prophetic spirit, or even the wind). Here it probably refers to the energizing power of the prophetic spirit that characterized the life of Elijah. The Holy Spirit is the author of Elijah's prophetic gift (1 Samuel 10:6,10; 19:20,23)" p. 483, New Spirit Filled Life Bible.

You and I will probably never be asked what we wish for in such a straightforward way. However, any time we contemplate our lives in regard to goals, objectives and resolutions, we encounter a variant of this, couched in challenges like:

"If you could sum up the purpose of your life in one word, what word would you choose?

What would you want your epitaph to say?

Over the course of your life, what do you want to do? to be?

(Read more at "Writing a Mission Statement" by Chip MacGregor).

Elijah got it right. God's 'yes' to his request was so evident, the sons of the prophets remarked on the presence of Elijah's spirit visible in him even as he returned alone (vs. 15).

Likewise we need to think carefully and prayerfully about what we wish for. For it may just come true!

PRAYER: Dear God, please give me the wisdom to see my life realistically and to desire and pursue only Your best for me. Amen.

MORE: Noble wishes

Here are some wishes to consider as we contemplate our personal wish lists.

- A thirst for and delight in God (Psalm 27:4; Psalm 63:1).
- A knowledge of right priorities (Psalm 37:4; Matthew 6:30-33)
- A love for and knowledge of God's word (Joshua 1:8; 1 Peter 2:2).
- The opportunity to impact many people and lead them to Christ (Daniel 12:3; Matthew 4:19; Luke 5:10).

Think about (and write out if you like) what you would say if you were given one wish.

Do your 8-12-year-olds have daily devotions? Point them to Bible Drive-Thru.