We're glad you could join us for today's edition of Our Daily Bread. Our reading was written by Ann Cetus, and it's titled Missing Wisdom. Two-year-old Kenneth went missing, yet within three minutes of his mom's 911 call, an emergency worker found him just two blocks from home at the county fair. His mom had promised he could go later that day with his grandpa, but he'd driven his toy tractor there and parked it at his favorite ride.
When the boy was safely home, his dad wisely removed the toy's battery. Kenneth was actually rather smart to get where he wanted to go, but two-year-olds are missing another key quality, wisdom. And as adults, we sometimes lack it too. In 1 Kings, Solomon, who'd been appointed king by his father David, admitted he felt like a child. God appeared to him in a dream and said, Ask for whatever you want me to give you. He replied, 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. God gave Solomon a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Where can we get the wisdom we need? In Proverbs 9, Solomon said the beginning of wisdom is a fear or awe of God.
So we can start by asking him to teach us about himself and to give us wisdom beyond our own. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 1 Kings chapter 3 verses 5 through 12. At Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, Ask for whatever you want me to give you. Solomon answered, You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. Now, Lord, my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, but I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?
The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies, but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.
Let's pray. Dear Father, so often we find ourselves navigating life on our own without even asking you for wisdom. Help us to know right from wrong and help us to follow you faithfully so that we may go where you direct us and do what you have called us to do. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
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