God gave them the desire of their heart; (but they did not want him and his ways and his character) so he sent leanness to their souls.
A famous anonymous prayer written by a Confederate Soldier in the Civil War
I asked God for strength that I might achieve, I was made weak, that I might learn to humbly obey.
I asked for health, that I might do greater things; I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy; I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men; I was given weakness, that I might feel the need for God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life; I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I had hoped for. Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered. I am, among all, most richly blessed.
God knows what is best for us. He is never in a hurry and does not have deadlines. Our God is a HUGE God: bigger than any problem, sorrow, or hardship. Go to Him and humbly receive His grace, mercy and love.
We seem to think that God charges too much for his paltry gifts! We quip, ” Don’t ask God for patience, he’ll give you trials!” YEA? SO?
God freely gave me the greatest gift of all: GOD’S OWN SON TO DIE IN OUR PLACE! How then will my ABBA not give me the things I need to be truly blessed and bless others?
God still likes to give good gifts to his children, I just don’t like the wrapping paper sometimes. Do I want things from God? If I want him I will be happy and fulfilled. I need to ask for WISDOM to help his people, for the ABILITY TO LOVE the irritating unloving people in my life; to choose JOY in the midst of loss; PEACE in the midst of life’s constant war; PATIENCE with the demanding impatient drivers and shoppers all around me; GENTLENESS with the rough; KINDNESS towards the unkind; GODLINESS towards those who reject god and resent anyone who acts as though God is real.
I need to ask and expect, nothing doubting? Test him and see if he doesn’t open the windows of heaven to pour out a blessing too big to receive, shaken down heaped up and running over. God loves analogies to help our brains comprehend his wisdom. Try this: buy a bag of flour (it’s cheap and worth the cost) find a container less than half the size of the bag, pour flour into the container till full, scrape it even, then pour the flour in a pile on the counter: start a new pile by refilling the container but find something to press the flour down, then pour more on top till it mounds up and starts to spill on the counter around, about an extra cup worth, now pour out the contents to add to the spilled pile, now compare the two piles. I need not fear him yelling at me for asking for wisdom or for taking so long to ask. He does not consider the asking stupid. God gives; pressed down heaped up and running over!
MAY YOUR GIFTS BE SO ABUNDANT THAT THEY SPILL OVER ON ALL THE PEOPLE IN YOUR HOME FAMILY CHURCH JOB, ON FELLOW DRIVERS AND SHOPPERS!
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