I’ve been told that “three-wish stories” occur in almost every culture,
all following a similar theme: A benefactor appears and offers to grant three
wishes to an unsuspecting beneficiary. The fact that the stories so often occur
suggests we all want something we cannot get on our own.
There’s even a “wish story” in the Bible. It happened one night when the
Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give
you?” (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon could have asked for anything—riches, honor, fame, or power.
But he asked for none of these things. He requested “an understanding heart”
(v.9), or a “hearing heart,” a humble heart to listen and learn from God’s
Word. The young, inexperienced king, weighed down with the responsibilities of
ruling a vast nation, needed the Lord’s wisdom to govern well.
Am I that wise? If God spoke to me directly and asked what He could do
for me, what would I ask for? Would I ask for health, wealth, youth, power, or
prestige? Or would I ask for wisdom, holiness, and love? Would I be wise or
foolish?
Suppose God asked you what He could give to you. What would you ask for?
God’s wisdom is given to those who humbly ask Him for it. (RBC)
