adminEmmanuel Makandiwa UFIC
Today is the beginning of an important subject that is a necessity — Wisdom. You will realise how important it is to you in your everyday life. There is a common scripture we all know, every time we hear of wisdom, where wisdom was properly defined and explained. There is a man in the word of God by the name of Solomon and there are things I also discovered after going through several teachings and preachings even from other ministers. I was introduced by the Holy Spirit to something totally new to me from such an old scripture.
The Holy Spirit helped me to see things I never saw, yet I preached from the same chapter on several occasions. This time around I was taken back and the Holy Spirit allowed me to look again and saw what I had not seen before on the same scripture in the same Bible.
All of us have heard that when Solomon had an opportunity to go before the Lord and ask for anything he asked for wisdom. That is what we have been teaching you and that is what we have been taught that Solomon asked for wisdom. Solomon asked for wisdom from God.
All of a sudden I was made to realise that there is no place in all of the chapters in the book of 1 Kings where Solomon asked for wisdom from God. It also takes wisdom to see that. We have to talk about it. All of us have been made to believe that Solomon asked for wisdom in the third chapter.
I read more than four times. Solomon never asked for wisdom. This is what He asked for. He said if you can give to me an understanding heart and the ability to discern between good and bad and then what was given to him was wisdom. 1 Kings 3:9: “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?”
Look at verse 9 closely. Ask for anything and what he asked for was an understanding heart and the ability to discern between two choices and what was given to him is called wisdom. You have to be analytical about this. Solomon did not want to ask for wisdom. Solomon had an ability to describe what wisdom is and what it can do.
He is very careful not to ask for something that does not cover what he wants. He jumps into what wisdom can do for a man. It is only when that understanding of the heart and the ability to discern were being executed that people said Solomon has been given wisdom by God.
Which means basically wisdom is an understanding heart and the ability to know the difference between things. Instead of asking for wisdom he asked for what wisdom can do, proving to God that if it is wisdom I will be able to know and see by the understanding of my heart and the ability to know the difference.
So he was not interested in calling it wisdom he wanted to know and describe it. Any person who does not have a heart that understands does not have wisdom. Wisdom is an understanding heart. Wisdom is the ability to make the right decisions. If you have two things presented before you and every time you end up picking the wrong thing. It’s a sign that you lack wisdom.
Do you realise that the first day you met your wife she was not the only one available. There were several women but you selected her and according to you she was the best. You had several other options, yet you chose between good and bad. You made a decision and selected a particular one. You made a choice.
Solomon said between two choices I need an ability to choose and make a decision. Before I choose even the right husband I need that grace, between two ministries, between two careers.
I need the ability to discern the difference between two things. That ability is wisdom.
He did not ask for wisdom but described it to God so that he could get the right thing. Whether that thing is not called wisdom that it gives me an understanding of the heart and ability to discern that is what he was asking for.
He was good at describing the function of wisdom. An understanding heart. Ask yourself and your friends. Do you have an understanding of the heart? Do you know that most people just can’t understand? It’s lack of wisdom.
Some of you what you are going through, you have tried to make people understand. What they do not have is wisdom. First sign to know that now I have it is an understanding heart.
If your wife begins to understand, your husband, your leader begins to understand. Even if your boss understands you and you begin to understand your boss that is the function of wisdom.
Understanding is a function of wisdom. The word of God in Ecclesiastes 8:1: “Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.”
Wisdom brings that change that transfiguration and boldness of your face. You become intelligent, illuminated by wisdom.
Even before you prove you know anything about something, people will look at you and your light will shine. You cannot be ignored.
If wisdom can bring that change, I pray for you. You shall be changed. I will show profound things from the book of 2 Kings.
This story in the Bible of God coming to a man to ask for anything amazes me. I have never seen it anywhere, save for one place where a man was given something because he did not ask for it. It is only in chapter 3 that God says I will give you this because you did not ask for it. Where God gives you something because of the prayer that you did not do!
When Solomon had asked for understanding of the heart and ability to discern, God said Solomon what I like about you is you did not ask for riches or long life or the life of your enemy.
Because you did not ask that, what qualifies you to get it is the fact that you did not ask for it.
You will not find another scripture where God gives you something because you did not ask for it. It is amazing that God is even open enough to say I am giving you because you did not ask for it. 1 Kings 3:11“And God said unto him,
Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment”
We are talking about money, honour, long life and riches coming to a man because he did not ask for it. After another person had prayed to the same God, let’s say he asked for wisdom and God says what you have asked for, even myself I am so amazed because after such an opportunity, if I give it to other people down there what they will ask for is money which you never asked for, long life and honour which you never asked for.
My surprise now is the fact that it is written and there is a comment from God that God is surprised when a man is asking for wisdom not all these things.
For the full sermon, get yourself a copy of the DVD — “Wisdom, Understanding of the Heart Part 1” at 211 Fife Avenue UFIC Offices.
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