"Here's what I want: Give me a God-listening heart so I can lead your people well, discerning the difference between good and evil. For who on their own is capable of leading your glorious people?" 1 Kings 3:9 (MSG)

As a child, there was nothing quite like the Sears Christmas "Wish Book" catalog that showed up in our house every autumn. Within days of its arrival, the extensive section of toys and games at the back of the catalog was dog-eared and worn from grubby little fingers flipping through the pages. My eyes poured over all the possibilities with an eye to figure out what to ask Santa to deliver.

As humans, we like to contemplate what we would ask for if suddenly given the opportunity to be granted whatever we wished. As children we play this game with Santa. We continue to contemplate the possibilities as we read stories about a genie in the bottle. As adults we contemplate our list of wishes as we buy a powerball ticket or enter the sweepstakes. And, we often approach God as though he is a similar sugar daddy type character.

The question is raised again as we read today's chapter and find Solomon weighing his option. When faced with the question Solomon looked at the enormity of the task before him and asked for wisdom to lead. I look into my own heart and ask if I can honestly say I have similar purity of intention. Too often I think that my heart has the same childish, self-centered motives it did when I sat in front of The Brady Bunch after school and poured over the Sears Wish Book for hours.

God, grant me purity of heart, that I might have the motivation to honestly ask you for the right things with the right intentions.