What Shall I Give Thee???

     Take a minute to stop and think. If God were to ask you at this very moment, "What shall I give thee?", how would you respond?  Would you ask for health?  Would you ask for prosperity, or that new home or car that you've been wanting for so long?  Would you ask for long life?   STOP.  It is very important that you be completely honest with yourself and think about how you would answer that question.
     God came to Solomon in a dream and said, "Ask!  What shall I give you?"  Solomon replied, "But I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.  And your servant is in the midst of your people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.  Therefore give to your servant an understanding heart to judge your people that I may discern between good and evil.  For who is able to judge this great people of yours?"  God was pleased.  Because he did not ask anything for himself, God granted him wisdom beyond that which any man had ever seen, neither before nor after Solomon.  God then granted him wealth beyond that which any man had ever seen. Remember, God will not give you anything before you are ready to receive it. God first granted Solomon wisdom. He needed wisdom, not just to judge God's people, but also, to be able to handle the blessing of wealth.  He was still a "little child".  Had God blessed him with wealth first who knows what direction that may have led him in.  But God is too wise to make a mistake.  There was a purpose to Solomon's wealth.
     Solomon used his wealth to redistribute wealth to God's people. Solomon had established the world's first organized economy. His wealth was used to put people to work.   He empowered God's people.   He was able to do what no other king was able to do;  keep peace between the 12 tribes. It was under his leadership that all of Israel prospered. After the death of Solomon, Israel regressed.  The people went back to their tribal ways.  Without the wisdom of Solomon, Israel's organized economy collapsed.
     Solomon's desire was to be blessed so that he could in turn be a blessing.  God blessed him with everything he would need to carry out God's purpose.  Do you want to be blessed or do you want to be a blessing?  Right now, God is asking, "What shall I give thee?"