There was a young man named Solomon.
His father had died, and he found himself to be King.
A daunting task for anyone, much more so for a young man.

The Lord appeared to him in a dream one night.

“Ask  what I should give to thee” said the Lord.

“I’m just a child” Solomon confessed.
“I do not know how to go out, or to come in before all these people”

Therefore, “give me an understanding heart”.

Where do you seek wisdom?

Is it found among men?
Among Godly men even?

It is my goal in life to never know completely what I am doing.
The moment I think I have it figured out is the moment that I stop seeking
the Lord and start
To do things in my own strength.
I do not want to become a child — I am a child, and I know nothing.

The only thing I want to know is Christ. 

Paul said in 1 Cor 2:2:

For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

This was from Paul, the scholar and statesman of the Sanhedrin.
Paul was no dummy.
But he realized (as spoken in Phillipians 3:8) that the most valuable thing
above all other knowledge is Christ.

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing
value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the
loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ.

As Christians, as pastors, there is a temptation to look to
men, even Godly men for understanding.

And so we conference together.
We write books on our ideas.
We proclaim our new methods for a new time.

I’m sure there is some value in these things.

But there is a surpassing value — and it’s found in
communion and fellowship with Christ.

He is the “wonderful counselor”.

Solomon asked for understanding.

In Hebrew, literally — to hear, to listen, to obey.

The tense in Hebrew is the active particple.

Understanding for now.
For the moment.
It doesn’t get much more relevant than that.

Are you stuck in ministry?
Don’t know what the next move should be?
Where should you meet?
Who should you appoint as elders?
What should your focus be?

There is understanding available to you.
And its at no cost.

Don’t have time to read the latest book? That’s ok.
Don’t have money for the newest conference?  That’s alright.

There is value in those things — but there is surpassing value
in Christ — and by His Spirit He is speaking,
By His Spirit, He is speaking NOW.

For now.
To now.
For today.
For the particular situation.

It’s in the Word.
It’s in Christ.

And it’s absolutely free and of surpassing value.

I leave you with the words of James 1:5

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously
and without reproach, and it will be given to him