A Discerning Heart - Wisdom

Many people are familiar with the tale of King Solomon from the Old Testament. He was a wise leader who asked God for guidance, and God was pleased that he did not request the demise of his foes, riches, or renown. As a result, God bestowed upon him great riches and honor.

Well, that is the short Sunday school summary of this story.  Solomon did not just ask for wisdom. It is a little deeper. 

A Discerning Heart for the Administration of Justice

“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?” (II Kings 3:7-9)

Solomon’s approach to leadership is a shining example of seeking guidance and assistance in times of uncertainty. Despite his royal status, he remained humble and acknowledged his lack of experience. He turned to prayer as a means to pray God for guidance, highlighting the importance of seeking divine direction in all aspects of life.

Solomon’s prayer also shows that he did not believe he was better than the people he was called to serve.  In his prayer, he said, “For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”  This also showed that he valued the people he was called to serve.  

In other words, he was a King with good motives. God could trust him with great wealth and honor.  A servant leader is not a selfish leader.  It was not about him; it was about his ability to be a leader with the heart of the people in mind. 

God told Solomon, that I will give you a discerning heart for the administration of justice.  Solomon asked for more than just wisdom. 

DISCERNMENT BEGINS WITH PRAYER

If you do not pray, you will not see.  The word discern comes from the Greek word anakrino in the New Testament, meaning “to distinguish, to separate out by diligent search, to examine.”  Additionally, you must have the Holy Spirit to discern. 

When you have the Holy Spirit, you will have the mind of Christ.   A mindset that thinks like popular culture will never be able to understand the Christian way of thinking and lifestyle.  It is impossible.  Popular culture and Christian culture are becoming more and more opposites.  The Bible says, “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.”  (Romans 8:7)

Proper discernment begins with prayer, the Holy Spirit, the Mind of Christ, and understanding the Word of God.

Prayer To Discern 

I was trying to understand what happened in a particular situation in recent history.  I guess you could say I was clueless and naive.  I also want to believe that people have good motives and operate with integrity. It is hard for me to think that people will deliberately hurt people for selfish gain, especially in Christian spaces.  I am always surprised. Unfortunately, this is our world. 

Honestly, I was stressed out about the situation.  Like Solomon, I began to pray for discernment.  I often think, “Lord, what is going on? Why is this happening? This does not make sense.” 

In those moments, when I need to understand and discern what is happening, God will begin to reveal the thoughts and motives of the hearts of the people I may be engaging with.  God will show me their faces very clearly. Individuals will think someone in their circle gave me the inside story about what happened because they knew the details.  When in reality, I did not talk to anyone.  I just prayed about it.   I knew precisely why “Sally” could not look into my eyes; God showed me.  

• Daniel 2:22 - “Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants, the prophets.”
• I Corinthians 2:10-11 - “…these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.  The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”
•  Amos 3:7 - “Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.”

So, she thinks she is a prophet now.  No.  However, what I do know is this. The more you pray and seek God, the more he will show/reveal things to you.   The Holy Spirit is your GPS for life.  When I understand the environment that I am in, I can better navigate the situation.

If you do not cultivate a prayer life, you will be “clueless.”  In prayer, you develop a relationship with God where you can recognize His voice. When a false prophet/teacher/counterfeit Christian is talking, you will immediately know that this is not the voice of your Father.  

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28)

Although we have limited vision, we cannot see or know all the details; let’s pray to an Omniscient God who knows everything.  He’ll show you what is going on behind the scene.