Fields United Methodist Church

Celebrate Jesus!

Pastor Tom Joyce

September 12, 2022

“Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?”

I Kings 3:9

At the beginning of every week, we begin yet another grocery list; things that we need for the upcoming week. Sometimes the list is short and other times not so much. The list helps us to remember the food and supplies we need for yet another week.  Do your prayers sound like a shopping list given to God? King Solomon could have asked God for anything, and it would have been given. Yet he consolidated his list to 2 items; wisdom (understanding mind) and discernment. There are times in life where we create a list of what we think we may need from God to see us through the day. Solomon’s request from God for wisdom and discernment is a reminder that God is God and we are not, that our wisdom and process of discernment is not sufficient; need to trust in God’s infinite wisdom.  The wisdom of our Creator who offered us salvation through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is far superior to our own and is freely offered to us. When the prophet Micah described what God asks of us, “to seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God,” (Micah 6:8) he saved the most important for last; walking humbly with God. When we acknowledge the wisdom of God is greater than ours, we begin the experience even more deeply the presence of God in our lives and the need to accept the amazing grace and blessed assurance of the peace of Jesus.  Maybe prayer is all about trust; trust that God’s wisdom, grace, mercy, and gift of discernment is sufficient for you to navigate through life. When your prayer life starts to sound like a grocery list, step back and pray for wisdom and discernment from God; it is freely given, priceless, and eternal.