Barriers to receiving wisdom

1 Kings 4:29 Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore.

I have another one of those Monday morning hangovers. No, I did not go out drinking last night. I gave that up a long time ago. I am talking about a different kind of hang over where I can't get Sunday's sermon out of my system yet. It is difficult when you pour yourself for several days into a text, a teaching outline emerges from your work, key thoughts and life application of the text also. Then you deliver the sermon and give the invitation. Then it is over. Church is over and it is time to go to Golden Corral. Time to start thinking about next Sunday's message. Typically though I get a sermon hangover and it sticks with me into Monday. I try to write a blog entry about another subject and nothing flows out of my spirit, except what I preached about yesterday. It takes me until Tuesday to get over it. Why do I share all this? Because some may ask, "He just preached about this stuff yesterday, why is he writing about it today?" Now you know.

Solomon was a wise man, and there were some reasons why he was wise.

1) He was a man who wanted to please God. Solomon asked God to give him wisdom to know good from evil. He wanted to always do the right thing and please God.

2) He was humble. He recognized his need for God. Reminds me of the words of Christ: John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." Solomon recognized he could do nothing apart from God.


3) He was not self centered. When given the chance to ask anything from God, Solomon did not ask for something that would be a direct benefit to himself. He did not ask for riches, or political favor, or good health......he asked for wisdom to be able to lead the people well. His concern was for others, not for himself.

Now these are three reasons why Solomon was a man to whom God desired to impart HIS wisdom. I am sure there are more than just three reasons why God gave Solomon wisdom, but if we could just get these three down our lives.........maybe God will want to impart HIS wisdom to us as well.