What do you want from the Lord?

I Kings 3:5 That night the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask and I will give it to you.”

What would you ask for? What do you lack or want that if you had the chance and knew that you would get it, that you would ask God for? Before you answer the question think about this: Whatever you ask for reflects what you value most in life. It was an interesting question God asked of Solomon. Solomon lived a privileged life. He was the son of one of the most successful and respected persons in all of history. Solomon was not deprived of the best of what the world could offer. He lived a life that most people would give their life for. Solomon did not need anything that he did not already have.

By asking Solomon this question, the Lord was examining his heart. The Lord knew what a difference Solomon could make in his world. He knew the plans he had for Solomon. Solomon was going to build the first temple for the Lord. It was going to be a place where God would dwell amongst his people. There had never been such a place before, and there would never be another opportunity for Israel to get it right again. Even though the Temple was rebuilt later on in Israel’s history, it paled in comparison to what God wanted built the first time. Would Solomon be up to the task? Could God trust him to build such a temple? Would he have the wisdom and knowledge to do such a thing? It would be a project unlike any other project given to man. If he asked for the right thing, God knew he would be up to the task.

Solomon was king. He had all he could possibly want, but he knew there was one thing he lacked in order to be the king God wanted him to be. He lacked wisdom to lead his people. Wisdom is a gift from God, it cannot be bought. So, Solomon asked the Lord for wisdom to lead his people.

What do you need to ask for from the Lord? What do you lack in order to do what the Lord has given you to do? If your heart is right, the Lord will give it to you. He wants you to be successful. He wants to use you to honor him amongst men. If your heart is right with God, you will want God to fill your need and not your want. So, I ask you again: What do you want from the Lord?

May the Lord give you a heart that will desire what he wants for you to have. May the desire of your heart be to complete the task God has given you to do and to receive from the Lord all that is needed to do it.