1 Kings 3:9, So give Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Thine?" 
	In this morning’s reading, we have the newly crowned king of Israel, Solomon, asking for only one thing. It is important to notice what that was, the wisdom to rule over the Lord’s people so as to please Jehovah in the every decision. Having sought only for this ability, for the sake of The Lord being fully blessed and that then flowing forth unto the people as a whole and individually, Solomon was already showing a heart that was attuned to the necessities of having such an amazing and terrifying responsibility. He was sufficiently astute to realize that the strains and the pressures and the obligations of that leadership could not be able to withstand the ferocity and the constraints and the stresses and the demands and heaviness apart from the wisdom of God. To be able to govern properly meant that he needed to have the wisdom to be the leader who would please God and wisely rule for the benefit of the people.
	This had been the prayer of his father, David, for the sake of the heritage of the Lord over the nation through his lineage. Please turn to 1 Chron 22:12, where we have this expressed before Jehovah for the sake of the young ruler-to-be, Solomon. This was with regard to that which had been the earnest and foremost desire of David to build the Temple of The Lord, but which was not his to perform. His hands had been too bloodied in battle; therefore the responsibility to construct the house of God fell to Solomon. This was in order that the nation as a whole would have that place to go to worship and to bring offerings and sacrifices unto The Lord God Almighty. David had made the preparations, but it was up to Solomon to bring this honoring of God into physical fruition. 
	1 Chron 22:12, Only the Lord give you discretion and understanding, and give you charge over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God.
	Therefore, David was keenly beseeching Jehovah to grant to Solomon that heart of wisdom and understanding that would allow him to build the temple as so directed by Yahweh. This could only be accomplished if Solomon had that same heart after God that was instilled into David. 
Consider another prayer of David unto The Lord, as detailed in 1 Chron 29:18+19, for the sake of the heart and mind and obedience of Solomon. This was in order that the temple would be completed unto the full honor and adoration of Yahweh. To the very end of his life, David’s great consecration was that the Lord would have His temple and that the people would be governed by a man whose heart was after the Lord in every situation and concern.
1 Chron 29:18+19, O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, preserve this forever in the intentions of the heart of Thy people, and direct their heart to Thee; "and give to my son Solomon a perfect heart to keep Thy commandments, Thy testimonies, and Thy statutes, and to do them all, and to build the temple, for which I have made provision." 
	Next, once again, we hear the heart of Solomon expressed in 2 Chron 1:9+10 in another accounting of the seeking for the wisdom that would be required to guide and to lead the people of God in full accordance with that which would honor and please and bless Yahweh. It is a wondrous expression of that seeking after God for what needed to be done in order that The Lord would receive the praise and adoration with the installation of Solomon on the throne of Israel. 
2 Chron 1:9+10, Now, O Lord God, Thy promise to my father David is fulfilled; for Thou hast made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can rule this great people of Thine?"
	This matter of wisdom for the sake of the testimony of The Lord is a necessary prayer for all the people of God. We need to seek after the Holy Spirit to become that source of life and wisdom unto the glory of Yahweh as we deal with the day to day functionality of the walk that we have before Him. The Psalms are filled with those prayers for the teaching of that which honors God singly and presents the full measure of His working power as the ordered paths that we tread. 
	Please open to the longest of the Psalms, Ps 119 and follow along as the Psalmist lays open the measure of what should be our heart’s searching for the wisdom and understanding of God that will teach us the proper course of how to live. We will begin with verses 33-38.
	Ps 119:33-38, Teach me, O Lord, the way of Thy statutes, And I shall observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may observe Thy law, And keep it with all my heart. Make me walk in the path of Thy commandments, For I delight in it. Incline my heart to Thy testimonies, And not to dishonest gain. Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Thy ways. Establish Thy word to Thy servant, As that which produces reverence for Thee. 
	There is inherent in this Godly wisdom, a necessary grounding in the Word of The Lord. We ask the Holy Spirit to make it a living and enlightening element of our walk before Yahweh. As we study and as we cherish and as we obey His given Word, by the power and the discernment and the instruction of the Holy Spirit, it will open to us the manifold knowledge and understanding of the ways of The Lord to meet each situation. That is a living wisdom which will not be just head knowledge, but will become a relationship with God to see us through all the storms and tribulations of this age. We will develop a deeper relationship with God as revealed through the every Word that He has given in the tremendous gift of His love in Jesus Christ.
	Then, in verses 66-77, we have the reinforcement of this reality expressed. As well, there is an immense value that is part of this entire process of how the wisdom of God is imparted to us through the trials and the adversities of daily living. It all works for the purpose of our establishment into the ways and the will of God.
Ps 119:66-77, Teach me good discernment and knowledge, For I believe in Thy commandments. Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Thy word. Thou art good and doest good; Teach me Thy statutes. The arrogant have forged a lie against me; With all my heart I will observe Thy precepts.  Their heart is covered with fat, But I delight in Thy law. It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Thy statutes. The law of Thy mouth is better to me Than thousands of gold and silver pieces. Thy hands made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Thy commandments. May those who fear Thee see me and be glad, Because I wait for Thy word. I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness Thou hast afflicted me. O may Thy lovingkindness comfort me, According to Thy word to Thy servant. May Thy compassion come to me that I may live, For Thy law is my delight. 
	Notice how the understanding and the plan and the purpose of God is formed as He proves Himself to be our everything as each day of our lives rolls forth unto the greater measure of a fuller understanding of why God does what He does to the glory of His name. We face the difficult times with the inherent knowledge that God is at work to establish our feet on the sure foundation of His understanding and His faithfulness. This builds and strengthens our trust in Him to do His will no matter what the road we must tread.
	This is continued for us in verses 140-144. In the midst of the hard times, the trials, the tribulations, we learn to count on God to prove Himself more than glorious and righteous. It all works to prove the greatness and trustworthiness of God in the midst of our understanding and growing wisdom to discern what is truly of value in the walk that we have been given on this earth.
Ps 119:140-144, Thy word is very pure, Therefore Thy servant loves it. I am small and despised, Yet I do not forget Thy precepts. Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Thy law is truth. Trouble and anguish have come upon me; Yet Thy commandments are my delight. Thy testimonies are righteous forever; Give me understanding that I may live. 
	The preacher in Proverbs expands the consideration of the true value of God’s wisdom in action in our lives in a number of scriptures. It is evident that the only way in which we will have that living and vital witness of the magnificence of Our Lord is as we earnestly and with committed endeavor seek to know how He would have us interact and deal with others in full accordance to His heart after His Holiness in operation. That is the way the wisdom of God manifests itself in opposition to the way this world operates in seeking after itself in every measure.
	The joy of the wisdom of God is detailed for us in Prov 2:1-12. The true value and purpose of the wisdom of The Lord is the source of our coming into the proper relationship with Yahweh in His plan of redemption.
Prov 2:1-12, My son, if you will receive my sayings, And treasure my commandments within you, Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the Lord, And discover the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones. Then you will discern righteousness and justice And equity and every good course. For wisdom will enter your heart, And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;  Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you, To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things; 
	Then in Prov 3:13-22, we are shown many of the benefits to us as we hold true to the course that God has set before our feet. His wisdom is our guide into the true riches of heaven, those of being of service and help to the needy and the afflicted and the downtrodden and the lost. We will manifest the heart that sees the Hand of Jehovah in operation from the beginning of creation into the vast stretches of the eternal ages, the treasure of His glory and His majesty.
	Prov 3:13-22, How blessed is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding. For its profit is better than the profit of silver, And its gain than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her. Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, And all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast. The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens. By His knowledge the deeps were broken up, And the skies drip with dew. My son, let them not depart from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, So they will be life to your soul, And adornment to your neck. 
	Accordingly, we are to seek His glory and His wisdom to be the means of our provision on this earth. What this age strives for in wealth and accumulation is nothing in comparison to the wealth of our living relationship with God. That is our greatest goal in this life that we have as set before us in the comparisons listed in Prov 16:16.
	Prov 16:16, How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver. 
	Our conclusion comes through Brother James, beginning with James 1:2-8, as he points to the fact that when we truly desire to know the fullness of this life that is ours in Jesus Christ; we have to go through all those things which will turn our hearts away from earthly gain unto the great plan and purpose of God. He will use many and various trials and tribulations to show us just how manifestly He loves and provides for our every need. 
	James 1:2-8, Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 
	As James further details in James 3:13-18, this foundation in the wisdom from God is not for us to lord over anyone else in any measure. Just as with the very beginning prayers that we read as voiced by both David and Solomon, there is a need for wisdom in order that God is blessed in the manner in which we deal with all those whom The Lord brings into our lives. Whether parents and siblings, spouses and children, neighbors and friends, schoolmates and teachers, workmates and bosses, anyone and every one, we need the wisdom that is from above to be the source from which we have our dealings.
	James 3:13-18, Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
	In full accordance then, let us ever seek after God to bring His wisdom to bear in the manner in which we present the more and more perfect testimony of Who He is and all that He has done in our lives. It should be fully evident to all those who are watching the way in which we deal with each issue, just to Whom we belong and from Whom we seek the wisdom to deal with each day of our walk on this earth, all to God’s glory, Alone! So be it! 
So give Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Thine?" Amen.

		This morning’s benediction is James 5:7+8. Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Amen.