Imagine God comes to see you and says you can ask for anything you want and He’ll give it to you. What would you ask for? Top exam results? A new car? Or maybe you’d ask for awesome prayer times or the gift of prophecy. Well, this happened one night to Solomon in 1 Kings 3. While he was asleep, God appeared in his dream, saying ‘Ask! What shall I give you?’ (v. 5 NKJV). Solomon could’ve asked for anything – more money, more land, a closer relationship with God – but he asked for ‘an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil’ (v. 9 NKJV). What exactly is ‘an understanding heart’? In the Hebrew text, ‘understanding’ is translated from the verb ‘shama’. It can also mean ‘hearing’ or ‘listening’. Solomon’s asking for a heart that hears, a heart that listens. Being able to really listen to the people he governs, and listen to God, means that Solomon’s perfectly placed to understand the full picture and make fair judgements over his people. It’s an amazingly selfless request – it’ll help Solomon be a better person, but that’ll radiate outwards and help him meet the needs of the people he leads. Solomon understands his God-given responsibility to them, and in that moment, he chooses something that’ll benefit everyone, over a nice, ‘I deserve this’ personal reward. So how can we apply this to ourselves? If we ask God for ‘an understanding heart’, it’ll help us truly listen to other people, so we understand their situations and feelings. It’ll help us hear from God and discern how He wants us to act. It’ll help us meet their needs and build relationships with them.
What now?
Follow Solomon’s example and ask God for ‘an understanding heart’.