II Chronicles 1:7-10
7 In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.
8 And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead.
9 Now, O Lord God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.
10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?
11 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:
12 Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.

If you were granted one wish, what would you ask for? In most cases, this would be a daunting question—one that would require time and, might I say, wisdom! But that is exactly what Solomon asked for when the Lord granted him one wish. He asked for wisdom (Proverbs 4:7). I’ll be honest; I’m not sure that would be my first choice. I could probably come up with several good ideas, talk myself out of them, and then even try to encompass everything all in one request like “for my husband, children, and I to live long and happy lives doing God’s will.” But when I came across the story of Solomon during my Bible time, I was convicted. This thought took a hold of me: I cannot control what is not in my control, but with wisdom, I can control what I do and say in my Christian life and make it count for the Lord. I cannot control what others around me do. I cannot control the state of my country. I cannot control the upcoming election. I cannot control whether or not my children and eventually grandchildren live for the Lord when they become adults (though, as a parent, I actively pray for that and train them to do so). That is all in the Lord’s hands. But I can control my spirit, my family while my young ones are still at home, and any spiritual influence I have on people around me. Look at Solomon. He could have asked for riches, fame, or the demise of his enemies; but he asked for wisdom to judge God’s people. The Lord granted that humble wish and blessed him with even more than he asked for.

Especially during this unprecedented time, we can easily succumb to fear, sin, and discouragement. What we need to do is daily ask the Lord for wisdom to do what we must do every day of our lives. We must be able to discern between right and wrong. We need wisdom to stand, wisdom to make the right decisions, wisdom to train our children, and wisdom to handle every situation life brings us. What we are facing today is beyond our ability to handle. We need God’s guidance and help every second of the day, for without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5).

Every day, I pray for several things. And, yes, I still pray fervently for those around me; a spiritual revival to sweep through America; and that the Lord would let my husband, children, and me live long and happy lives doing God’s will. But I also have a renewed desire to ask for wisdom in my life. Every day, I try to give my hopes and dreams over to God, trust in His promises, and focus on what I personally can do to fulfill His purpose for my life. God’s unfailing wisdom—I can have it as long as I ask. What a blessing! And what a gift of priceless value!

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Hannah Joy Reimers, North Valley Publications

Having attended North Valley since the age of three, Joy was saved and brought up in this ministry. She graduated from NVBS, married Andrew Reimers in 2014, graduated from GSBC, and joined our staff full-time as an administrative assistant for the church and North Valley Publications.