According to 1 Kings 3:9, when Solomon requested wisdom and knowledge to lead God\u2019s people, God gave Solomon \u201cunderstanding\u201d or \u201ca listening heart.\u201d And the result of that listening heart was the gift of “wisdom and knowledge.\u201d This event, more than any other in the Old Testament, reminds us of the New Testament principle found in James 1:5: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God . . . and it will be given to him.” Wisdom is ours for the asking.<\/p>\n
Wisdom comes in the shape of a listening heart. As we follow Solomon’s life, we find that when he stopped listening to God, the wisdom dried up and things fell apart. Someone is probably asking, “A listening heart? Who was he listening to?” Solomon was called on to make legal judgments in disputes, where he needed to listen carefully to both sides of an argument. So the phrase “listening heart” can refer to the need of the king to listen carefully to his people. But by far the most crucial thing he, and we, need to listen to is the voice of God Himself.<\/p>\n
In the New Testament, we are told to \u201cpray without ceasing\u201d (1 Thess. 5:17). But how do we accomplish this with all the distracting thoughts and tasks that pass through our minds all day? How in the world can we be in prayer at all times? The answer is here: we are to seek for, cultivate in our lives, a listening heart. If we are using all our mental, emotional, and spiritual facilities as we go through our daily routine, we will always be close to prayer. Having a listening heart means having a prayerful attitude as we walk though the issues of the day. If we begin the day prayerfully, then we stand a much better chance of remaining in tune to His voice of wisdom throughout the rest of the day.<\/p>\n
\u201cLORD, help us to stay tuned into Your voice this day, in Jesus\u2019 name.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n =============================================================<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2 Chronicles 1 KJV<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1<\/sup>\u00a0And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the\u00a0LORD\u00a0his God\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>with him, and magnified him exceedingly.\u00a02<\/sup>\u00a0Then Solomon spake unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every governor in all Israel, the chief of the fathers.\u00a03<\/sup>\u00a0So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0had made in the wilderness.\u00a04<\/sup>\u00a0But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjath-jearim to\u00a0the place which\u00a0<\/em>David had prepared for it: for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.\u00a05<\/sup>\u00a0Moreover the brasen altar, that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the\u00a0LORD: and Solomon and the congregation sought unto it.\u00a0\u00a06<\/sup>\u00a0And Solomon went up thither to the brasen altar before the\u00a0LORD, which\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it. 7<\/sup>\u00a0In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.\u00a08<\/sup>\u00a0And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead.\u00a09<\/sup>\u00a0Now, O\u00a0LORD\u00a0God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.\u00a0\u00a010<\/sup>\u00a0Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people,\u00a0that is so\u00a0<\/em>great?\u00a011<\/sup>\u00a0And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:\u00a012<\/sup>\u00a0Wisdom and knowledge\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that\u00a0have been\u00a0<\/em>before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like. 13<\/sup> Then Solomon came\u00a0from his journey\u00a0<\/em>to the high place that\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, and reigned over Israel.\u00a014<\/sup>\u00a0And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.\u00a015<\/sup>\u00a0And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem\u00a0as plenteous\u00a0<\/em>as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that\u00a0are\u00a0<\/em>in the vale for abundance.\u00a0\u00a016<\/sup>\u00a0And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king\u2019s merchants received the linen yarn at a price.\u00a0\u00a017<\/sup>And they fetched up, and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred\u00a0shekels\u00a0<\/em>of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so brought they out\u00a0horses\u00a0<\/em>for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, by their means.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" According to 1 Kings 3:9, when Solomon requested wisdom and knowledge to lead God\u2019s people, God gave Solomon \u201cunderstanding\u201d or \u201ca listening heart.\u201d And the result of that listening heart was the gift of “wisdom and knowledge.\u201d This event, more than any other in the Old Testament, reminds us of the New Testament principle found […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7110"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7110"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7110\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16350,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7110\/revisions\/16350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}