Imagine: You’re getting ready for bed on a Sunday night. You’ve enjoyed a wonderful day of worship, really felt the Lord’s presence, and committed to follow Him wholeheartedly. You settle snugly between the sheets and fall fast asleep.
Deeper and deeper into sleep you fall until you begin to dream. A bright light fills your closed eyes, beautiful music fills your ears, and indescribable peace fills your being. Then a voice — a magnificent voice! — begins to speak. Somehow, someway you know it’s God’s voice. God is speaking — to YOU! What’s that? What did He say? Again you hear it:
“Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
God, the Omnipotent Owner of the entire universe, told you to “ask for whatever you want…”! Wow! The wonder of it all jars you awake. Was it just a dream? Was it really God? Do you need a reality check — or a shrink?
Could such a thing ever happen? Does the dream sound too remarkable to be true? Well, it isn’t. This actually happened to Solomon (1 Kings 3:5)! King David had named Solomon as his successor to the throne. Shortly after doing so, David died. Solomon became king at a very young age yet followed closely in his father’s faithful footsteps. Before awakening, young Solomon gave this answer:
“…O LORD my God, you have made your servant king…But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties…So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong…” (3:7-9).
This answer delighted God so much that He decided to not only grant his request but to also grant what Solomon did not ask for: wealth, honor, and long life.
Now, how would you have responded? If you could ask God for anything, what would it be? How would you even begin to decide? Next to the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, God’s Son, what do you believe would be the greatest gift God could give you?
Here at the beginning of a new year, meditate on that question. Think through the positives and negatives of your choice. Tweek it until you believe you have a God-delighting answer — and then ask! Don’t be afraid to ask your Father. He knows the best answer to your request. It could be “no,” but it could be “yes”!
No matter what you choose to ask God for, consider doing as Solomon did. Ask for wisdom. It’s greatly needed in our world today. And God is ready, willing, and able to grant your request!
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God,
who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
James 1:5