The Value of Wisdom

The Value of Wisdom
1 Kings 3:1-15
February 10-11, 2024

Last week, as we were studying through the Psalms, David was in his older years crying out to God for help in his great distresses. One of the things that we really appreciate about watching the course of David's life is that he knew where help comes from. He knew that he needed the help of God to accomplish all of the great feats that we associate with David and David's great name.

Here in the early chapters of 1 Kings, David is in that same place. He's advanced in years and declares that his son, Solomon, will be the new king of Israel. David, in is again, latter years. After that, he breathes his last, and then Solomon is established as King of Israel. Now, the backstory of Solomon is very important. Solomon was David's son through Bathsheba.

This is the, of course, Bathsheba with whom David faltered so greatly, that adulterous relationship and then later married. By the way, this speaks amazingly of the grace of God, not only in forgiving David, but also in allowing a son from that relationship to be on the throne of Israel. In fact, to rule over what might be considered the glory days of Israel. Now the name Solomon means, and you can see the Hebrew word shalom in it, meaning peace. His name means peaceable. This was the name that David gave to Solomon.

Interestingly, God also gave him a name. God says, "I give him the name Jedidiah," which I think is a beautiful name. It means loved of God. Isn't that beautiful? If you ever have a son, you should name him Jedidiah. It's such a beautiful, strong name with a deep Hebrew meaning, loved of God. That also I think is a declaration of the grace of God, that He would call this one born from David and Bathsheba loved of God.

Now, Solomon is famous, really for two main things. One, for building the temple there in Jerusalem. This was the temple that David desired and wanted to build, but God had said to him, "No, David, you are a man of war. It will be built by a man in peace," the Solomon. He's famous for building-- It was one of the wonders of the world. It was glorious in every aspect. He's famous for that, but he's also famous for his wisdom.

If you were to sign one word to describe Solomon, no doubt it would be the word wisdom. The wisdom of Solomon is of course famous, which is an interesting thought. If someone could describe you with one word, what would that one word be? Could someone capture one word that would describe your greatest character, your quality of great-- the highest quality? If you were to be known by one word, what would that one word be?

That is a very interesting thought, although it reminds me of something funny. Have you ever been in one of these job interviews where the interviewer says to you, "What is the one character quality that you have that you're most proud of?" Have you ever been in an interview like that? They always like to ask you conundrum questions. What is the one quality that you have that you're most proud of? I've always wanted them to ask me that question so I can say, "Oh, the one quality that I'm most proud of is my humility. I am probably the most humble person you know, as a matter of fact." No, scratch that. Actually, it's my humor. No, scratch that. Let's go back to the message.

It is an interesting question. What one word describes your character? Wouldn't it be awesome if that one word was a character quality of God in your life? Like, "Oh, the one word that describes you would be grace." Or the one word that would describe you would be kindness. These are all wonderful qualities of God. I love Proverbs 22:1, "A good name is better, more to be desired than great wealth."

How did Solomon get wisdom? How did he get this wisdom? Well, it's a very important question, and the answer is he got it from God. That is where the greatest wisdom comes from. The story, of course, is that shortly after Solomon is anointed king of Israel, God appears to him in his dream and says to him, "Ask whatever you wish. What is it that you want for me to give to you?" Solomon did not ask for a long life or great riches or for victory over his enemies. Above all else he wanted wisdom to be able to judge or to lead this great people of Israel, and to be able to discern good and evil. This is a right thing. God was pleased that he desired wisdom. It's a right thing to desire for us as well.

In fact, many people in their daily devotions will add a proverb of the day. Maybe they will read in John or wherever they're reading through in their devotions, but then will add a proverb every day. Now, somewhat it's convenient because there's 31 proverbs, and that works out for the number of days in the month, but also people do it because they want to increase in their wisdom, and they know that Proverb is famous for giving wisdom to them. It's a right desire.

I. We Need the Wisdom that Comes from God

Show of hands, how many people would say, "I want more wisdom. In fact, I want great wisdom in my life. I need more wisdom." There are great principles of God's word to help us to see it. Let's read it. 1 Kings Chapter 3. We begin in verse one, "And then Solomon--" Again, very early on now in his rule, Solomon formed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh, King of Egypt.

He took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her to the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord, that's the temple, and the wall around Jerusalem. Now, Solomon loved the Lord. That's a key to the beginning of Solomon's rule as king. He loved the Lord. The word Lord there is in all caps. It represents the name Jehovah, YAHAVAH. He loved the Lord, walking in statutes of his father, David, except that he sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places, which was actually common in those days.

The king then went to Gibeon to sacrifice there for there was a great high place there. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar to God. Now, in Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and God said, "Ask what you wish. I want to give you a gift to as you're anointed as king. I want to give you something. What is it you want?" Verse 6, Solomon said, "Well, you have shown great loving kindness to your servant David, my father, according as he walked before you in truth and righteousness and a brightness of heart toward you. You have reserved for him this great loving kindness that you have given him a son to sit on his throne as it is to this day. Now, oh, Lord, my God, you have made your servant, me, king in place of my father David.

Yet, I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in." Now that's an expression, which means I don't know how to do it. I don't know how to lead this great people. I do not know how to be a king. He's insufficient and he knows he needs from God something. He says, verse 9, "Give your servant an understanding heart to be able to judge or to lead your people to discern between good and evil. For your servant," verse 8, "is in the midst of your people, which you have chosen a great people, which cannot be numbered or candid for multitude."

In other words, this is a great wondrous nation that you have chosen for yourself. It is a great responsibility and I am insufficient. I do not know what I am doing. I don't know how to do it. "Give your servant an understanding heart," he prayed, "to discern good and evil for who is able to judge this great people of yours." Verse 10. Now, this was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked for this thing. God said to him, "Because you have asked for this thing and have not asked for yourself a long life, or you've not asked for riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, victories. No. You have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice.

Behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. I have also given you what you have not asked. I have given you both riches and honor so that there will not be any among the kings of Israel like you all your days, and if," and this is a big if here, "If you would walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and commandments as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days."

Solomon awoke and behold, it was a dream. He came to Jerusalem and then he went right to the Ark of the Covenant, which is key, and he stood there before the Lord and offered burn offerings and made peace offerings and made a great feast for all of his servants. What a great story. Many things for us to take hold of and apply and starting with this, we need that wisdom, that wisdom that comes from God, we need that wisdom. Notice verse 1 where it says, "Solomon formed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh, King of Egypt, took Pharaoh's daughter to become his wife."

A. The wisdom of the world is foolishness to God

Now, that is an example of the world's wisdom, men's wisdom. Here's what I mean. This was commonly done in that day by Kings of Nations. It was considered a wise thing to do. It was considered prudent. It was politically savvy, because it built alliances, and political alliances bring peace. It was politically a prudent thing to do. Now, it may have been politically savvy, but it was spiritually disaster. There we gain a great insight in life.

There are many things that the world says are prudent or wise or even politically correct, and God says, "No, they're not wise." By the way, interestingly, side point, David did not need any such alliances. David did not care about political expediency. David relied on the help of God. There is a vast difference between the wisdom of the world, so-called, and the wisdom that comes from God. In fact, God makes that comparison very, very clear, where He declares that the wisdom of the world is foolishness to God.

Solomon was doing, again, what many kings did in that day was considered wise because it built alliances. In other words, that's good. You can see his thinking. How could this be not good? This is good. Building alliances makes for peace. This is good. It's good. What could be wrong with that? It's good. I'm making peace, but God says, "No, it's not good." The reason it's not good is because these women from these foreign nations will draw the king's heart away from God, and that is the beginning of destruction. It's not good.

Now, what we know of Solomon's life, that this marriage with Pharaoh's daughter was actually just the beginning. Solomon took many wives for himself from the nations around them, and ultimately it led to great troubles. Notice 1 Kings 11:1-2. Now, "King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh, Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, Hittite women." In other words, he had a thing for foreign women. Some people collect foreign cars, he collect foreign women. It was his thing. He just had a thing for foreign women.

From those nations, by the way, concerning which the Lord has said to the sons of Israel, "You will not associate with them and they will not associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods." It says, "Solomon held fast to these in love." The influence of a wife is very, very strong, and they will draw you away. See, God's wisdom proven right. There is a way that seems right. That seems right. It seems like the right thing to do. It seems right, but God's ways are better because God's ways lead to life, but the wisdom of the world leads to death.

Notice Proverbs 14:12, where it says the very thing very clearly. "There is a way which seems right to a man, but it's end--" You must see and perceive the end. "The end is the way of death." Now, there are many things that God says that are wise that apply to the many different areas of our life. Since we're speaking of marriage, God has much to say, wisdom about marriage.

For example, in 2 Corinthians 6:14, He talks about alliances of marriage. He says, "Do not be bound together with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship does light have with darkness?" How about Ephesians 5:25? Again, wisdom. "Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up." For wisdom. If you would take hold of wisdom from God, it would bear forth great fruit and results in your life. That's just one example.

The wisdom of the world and following one zone, wisdom, that's what gets people into so much trouble. Following one's own wisdom, following man's wisdom, world's wisdom. That's what gets people into trouble. No, God's wisdom is greater, and God's wisdom will lead to blessing, and God's wisdom will lead to God's favor and they're very, very different. Notice, 1 Corinthians 3:19-20, where God makes that so clear, "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God, for it is written He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness." Again, the Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.

B. What you desire is what you pursue

Then notice this out of the chapter, "What you desire is what you pursue," or, "What you pursue is what you desire. You are pursuing that which you desire." Notice verse 5, when Solomon went to Gibeon to offer these sacrifices, the Lord appeared to him in the dream. "Ask what you wish. What is it you desire? What is it you long for?" That's a great question. What is it you seek? What do you want? What do you desire? I want to fulfill your desire. What is it?

Now, that's a great question. I think that is worth us to answer. What is it that you would say to that question? What is it you want? What is the highest ask? The greatest thing that you could possibly ask for, the one that's higher than all other things. What would you want? Now that might seem like a philosophical conundrum, but no, no, it's a very important question because it has everything to do with who you will become.

See, I think a lot of people, especially people out there in the world, their desires are too small. They're too small. As an example, to quote from the famous American philosopher from the '60s, Janis Joplin. Does anybody remember Janis Joplin from the '60s? You're officially old. I know a lot about Janis Joplin in the '60s. I read about this in the history books and I-- but to quote from Janis Joplin, "Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz? My friends all drive Porsches. I must make amends. Worked hard on my life, no help from my friends. Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?" Yes. That's just about as good as it's sounding when she's singing too.

Here's my point. That's too small. That's your ask? That's not enough. There are deeper things. There are greater things. That's not enough. I need more than that. The soul that longs for God wants more than that. That's not enough. Even the finest things of the world are not enough. I want more. There are deeper things. There are greater things. I want more. I want more of God. I want His glory. I want what He is doing in my soul. I want that. There are deeper things. There are greater things.

See, I submit that we right now are pursuing what we truly desire, what we truly want, because what we desire, what we seek has everything to do with what the soul will become. What you will become has everything to do with what you are pursuing. Psalm 37:4-5, great verse. "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." He'll do it. He will give it to you. He will give you your desires, and that is the first phrase. "When you delight yourself in the Lord." Now, that is a great phrase. I love that phrase. Delight yourself.

II. In Wisdom, Ask God for Much

It's a great word to delight yourself in the Lord is one of the deepest understandings in the word of God. David mentioned it many times. "I delight in the Almighty," he said. Job mentioned, "I delight in the Almighty." Moses said, "The one thing I seek is the glory of God in my life." You can go on and on to see the great men and women of the Bible, and the greatest desire that they had was glory. More of God. I delight in the Almighty. Then He will give you what you desire, the desires of your heart. He says, "Commit your way to the Lord. Trust also in Him, and He'll do it." Great word.

See, I'm convinced that you will look back at your life and you'll see that that which you seek itself has been transformed when you delight in the Almighty. Look back on your life I think you'll see it. That the things that you long for now, when you delight in the Lord, when you seek for more of God's glory, the things that you delight in, the things that you seek for now are very different than what you long for and sought after when you are in the world. They have changed. Like the things I long for, the things I pursued, the things that I dreamed about, [laughs] they have changed.

Those things are nothing in compared to what I have discovered in the name of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is transformed what I long for. Then notice, then when you ask, see, in wisdom ask for much. Long for much. In great measure and overflowing abundance, that's what Jesus said. When Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you'll find. Knock and the door will be open." He's referring there, when He says that, He's referring to the presence of the Living God, the Holy Spirit. Ask, seek, knock. That is what God wants you to seek and ask and knock. You'll find that God will delight to give it to you an overflowing abundance.

When God asked Solomon, "What is it you wish for me to give to you?" Him recognized his insufficiency. I cannot do this thing. I don't know how to do this thing. I am so insufficient. He knew he was inadequate for what God had called him to be. He asked for an understanding heart, that he would be able to have wisdom, to be able to lead and judge his people of Israel to discern good in evil. In other words, there was a good and Godly purpose to what he asked. Good and godly purpose for what he asked.

See, this is a very important thing. There's something in us that needs to have purpose. What is that good and Godly purpose for which you ask, "God, I am insufficient for this, I need you. I need you to pour it out. I have this great purpose and desire, I long for something glorious, but I need you to do it." That is a great word. Desire something so great that you need God's help to do it. Dream, seek after, pursue some glorious thing that you need God's help to do it.

A. God’s wisdom is a great treasure

I'll tell you, this is a very personal thing for me. I have so many things, so many desires to fulfill dreams and visions of glorious things all that are so far, I need God's help to do it, but it's exciting to think what God might do. Amen. See, there's good and godly purpose to all of our lives. Seek for God's wisdom to do it, long for something higher, something greater. I need God's wisdom to do it. For, we see this, God's wisdom is a great treasure. How precious is wisdom? How valuable is wisdom?

Well, God's word says that it is more precious-- God's wisdom is more precious than great wealth. Notice Proverbs 16:16, "How much better it is to get wisdom than gold, and to get understanding is to be chosen above silver." Now, I was thinking of an illustration. Imagine if you have a fellow here, let's say, and this fellow has an abundance of wealth. He's very wealthy, and he has an abundance of wisdom. He's very, very wise. Then you say to this person, "Now you must give up one or the other. Which one would you give up? If you had to give up great wealth or great wisdom, which would you give up if you had to give up one?"

I can absolutely guarantee you what that fellow would say, because he's wise. He has an abundance of wisdom. He would say, "If I had to give up one, I give up my wealth. I got to have my wisdom. I got to have my wisdom. I can't give that up. Wealth you can rebuild. I can rebuild that from scratch, but I got to have my wisdom. I've got to have my wisdom. It's too precious to me." Sometimes an older person is asked the question, "If you could go back and do it all again, if you could go back and live your life over, if you could go back and do it all again, would you do it?"

Sometimes I'm asked that philosophical question, I get asked that sometimes. Would you do it if you could go back and live your life over? My answer is always the same. If I can bring my wisdom back with me, but if I don't have my wisdom, no way. My wisdom is too precious. I do not want to give that up. No, I made too many mistakes. I learned the hard way too many times. I don't want to repeat those things ever again. I value what God has given to me and I never want to let go of it. Amen.

Here's a great one. Proverbs 23:23. "Buy truth and don't sell it." [laughs] Great. That is great investment advice. Buy and hold. Buy wisdom, don't sell it. No. Get wisdom, get instruction, gain understanding. Go get, receive more, more, more. Proverbs 4:7. "The beginning of wisdom is acquire wisdom." Number one principle of wisdom. Number one principle, get more wisdom, get more, and then with all you're acquiring, get understanding.

Solomon knew that he needed wisdom. I have to have this in order to fulfill my calling. Same is true for you and me. You cannot do whatever God has called you to do without wisdom from God. For without wisdom, you may start well, but you will not end well. See, the wisdom of God and the word of God are of great value because of what it brings, what it produces, the results.

For example, Psalm 19: 7-11, "The law of the Lord is perfect." Why? Because it restores the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure. Why? Because it makes wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord all right, because it rejoices the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure and it enlightens the eyes. It brings about a great result. Then he adds, the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true, they are righteous altogether.

They are more desirable than gold. Yes, than much fine gold, and then notice, and they are sweeter also than honey, and the drippings of the honeycomb. In keeping them there is great reward. The results of it are a great reward. Would you notice that phrase? I love that where he says, "And not only is it more to be desired than gold, yes, but it is sweet."

It's sweeter than honey.

Now, that is a beautiful picture. It's sweet to the soul. It's a delight to the soul. Something beautiful. See, when God pours out His glory, it's sweet. It's joy itself. It's overflowing abundant peace. It's the presence of love itself. God is love, and His glory fills and overflows in the soul with something so beautiful. It's sweeter than honey. It's beautiful. What a delight it is.

B. Learn to discern – by applying God’s Word

Then we see the applying of it. Learn to discern. He said, "I need to be able to discern." Well, you'll learn to discern by applying God's word, which is that wisdom that comes from God. He's asking for an understanding heart to discern. Wisdom is taking the word of God and then applying it correctly to the matters of life. That's discernment. How does that happen? Well, first, by gaining, by growing in the knowledge of God's word. Secondly, then by having the heart of God, that is found in the word.

See, this is very, very important. One of the most important things to understand when it comes to studying the word of God. It's not just a matter of study, not just a matter of being informed. It has everything to do with knowing the one who sent it. To know the heart of God is the key to living in it, because the heart of God is what will transform the soul. The word of God is use of the Spirit of God to stir up life, because the word of God is the heart of God. We need to know the heart of God.

As a pastor, one of the great delights of my life, I love teaching the word of God. I love teaching. It is a delight to me, but one of the things I've come to understand is, I don't want people just to know the word, I want people to know the one who gave the word. I want you to know Him. I want you to understand how much He loves you. I want you to have your soul made beautiful in the glory. That is the transforming power of God. We need both.

Knowledge by itself is not enough. Knowledge by itself will puff one up, become arrogant in his knowledge, but love builds up. You need knowledge, yes, but so that you will know the heart that builds and edifies. Oh, let the church be edified, be built, be falling more and more and love, meaning more the glory of God. You can gain wisdom by many different ways. You can gain some wisdom just from the experiences of life. Touch a hot burner, you get burned, lesson learned.

You can get some wisdom just by watching other people and how they live their lives and the mistakes they make. Hopefully you can learn from that. I remember an example is watching my own father. Many of you know, of course, my story that my father was an alcoholic, angry, cantankerous, and difficult, so I gained a lot of wisdom because I watched him waste his life. I watched as he destroyed relationships with alcohol and anger in a cantankerous difficult manner. I watched and I decided I want something better than that.

There are better ways to live than that. I want something better. You can learn from watching other people. By the way, in case you don't know the end of my father's story is quite glorious. When he was 75 years old, he came to church. I never thought I would ever see his shadow across the threshold of a church, but he came to church when he was 75 years old because he realized I'm near the end and I've wasted my life. He came, his eyes opened, I need more. "Can I come to church?" "Oh, I would delight, yes." Maybe the second or third time he came, I gave an invitation to receive Christ, and I looked back and there he was, he stood up on his feet like this. I got to baptize him with my own hands. Glorious.

It's not too late, it's never too late to understand that God will transform your life. There's wisdom also then, of course. We need mostly the wisdom that comes from the Lord. James 1:5, "If any of you lacks wisdom, well, let him ask of God who gives to all generously and without reproach." He'll never reproach you for asking for wisdom. It will be given, He will do it. You ask for wisdom, He'll do it. If you ever get to a place in your life, when you say, "God, I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. I'm out of options. I don't know what to do." That's when you pray.

"You said, God, that I could ask for wisdom. I need your wisdom now." Then you wait for it. He promised He'll give it. You wait, don't move. Don't move until God will reveal to you by the impressing of the spirit of wisdom upon you the way to navigate through this thing. You wait, God will do what He says. We need to grow in the knowledge of God's word. Because God's word is not only the wisdom of God, it is the heart of God.

2 Timothy 2:15, "Be diligent to prove yourselves or present yourselves approved of God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, but rightly dividing the word of truth." If you rightly divide the word of truth, you will meet the Lord. That leads us to a deeper thought, a deeper understanding. It leads us to having our senses trained to discern good and evil. That's what He asked for.

Notice this, it's one of the deepest understandings, to have your senses trained to discern good and evil means that you with the wisdom that comes from God's word and the wisdom that comes from the heart of the Lord, can see deeply into the matters of life. That you can perceive and see into the matters of life with greater wisdom. Notice Hebrews 5:13-14. This is such a deep understanding. Literally, books could be written on this, because it's such an important understanding.

He writes it this way. "Everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of God. He's just an infant." Now, he's talking here about, again, the principles contained in the word of God. He just said a few verses back here. He says, "Some need to be reminded again and again of the elementary things," the ABCs of the word of God. He says, "Everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the deeper things. No, he's just an infant, but solid food is for the mature who because of practice, they have trained their senses to discern good and evil."

C. Don’t just have wisdom; live by it

Notice what it says. They are partaking of the word, they're partaking of the deeper word, and then because of practice, they take the word and they put it into practice, and there by that, they gain a deeper insight into the matters of life. Increasing layer by layer, you might say, brick by brick, block by block, rock by rock on the word of God, they are training their senses to discern good and evil. They are looking more deeply into the matters of life. In other words, don't just have wisdom, live by it. That's the key to the understanding. Don't just have wisdom, live by it. See, having wisdom and living by it are two different things. You can have wisdom and not live by it.

See, firstly, start with, okay, well choose then choose which wisdom that you'll live by. Choose which wisdom you'll follow, man's wisdom, world's wisdom, or God's wisdom, because each will bring very different results. Here's what I mean. If you were to submit a question to both worldly wisdom and God's wisdom, you'll get very different answers. Same question, you submit the same question to worldly wisdom and to God's wisdom, you'll get very different answers.

Then once you decide that I would rather have the wisdom that comes from God, then you must choose then to live by that wisdom, for having wisdom and living by wisdom are not the same thing. For example, knowing the right thing to do and doing that thing that's right are not the same things. In the same way, for example, intelligence. A person may have intelligence, doesn't mean they always live by that intelligence.

I was thinking of an illustration of people who have intelligence but don't always use intelligence. Let's use for the sake of a human illustration, lawyers. These are real questions that lawyers ask witnesses on the witness stand as recorded by court reporters. Ready? First one. Attorney, "How was your first marriage terminated?" Witness, "By death." Attorney, "By whose death was it terminated?" Witness, "I'll let you take a guess."

Here's another one. Attorney, "Now, doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in a sleep that he doesn't know about it until the next morning?" Witness, "Did you actually pass the bar exam?" Okay, last one. Attorney, "Can you describe the individual?" Witness, "Well, he was about medium height and had a beard." Attorney, "Was this person a male or female?" Witness, "Well, unless the circus was in town, I'm going with male." Although in today's modern world, all bets are off on that one. Okay, don't send me any emails. That was just an illustration.

Here's my point. Solomon received great wisdom, but he didn't always use it. Case in point, he has 700 wives and 300 concubines. Need I say more? There are a lot of jokes just sitting there waiting for me, but wisdom says, don't do it. No, this is what the Lord Jesus said. Matthew 7:24. Jesus said this, "Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and then acts on them," see, this is the key. "Everyone who hears these words and then acts on them, lives by them, he can be compared to a wise man who built his house on a rock," that is the greatest truth of all.

The one who hears the words of Christ, takes the words of Christ to heart, let them become the treasure that is written upon the soul. He is the one who will take the word and then press it into his life. He is the one who's wise. Desire great things, deeper things, glorious things, wisdom from God, seek desire, but live it. Put it into the life. That is wisdom itself. For what it brings about in your life is glory, beauty, the transformed beautiful soul.

Let's pray. Lord, what can we say? You have revealed to us the deeper things. We long for, we seek after the deeper things to delight in the Almighty, to seek for glory, transform life and soul. Church, how many will say that to the Lord today? I delight in the Almighty, but I want to know what it means to fully delight in the Almighty. I long, I pursue, I'm asking for more, more of your glory, more of your presence, more of the heart of God upon my soul. It is a great treasure to me. It's a great treasure. I'm asking, I seek for more. I delight in the Almighty, but I want more. Is that you?

Would you declare that by just raising your hand unto the Lord today? I delight in the Almighty but I want more, more, for I know what it brings, I know what it does. I know the results. It's beautiful on my soul. I delight in you, I want more. Father, thank you for everyone who has lifted their hand to you in a declaration of longing for more. We give you thanks and glory and honor in Jesus name, and everyone said? Amen. Let's give Him praise for all He's done.