What Would You Ask For”

Luke 2:40&52 ⁴⁰And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

⁵²And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with

1 Kings 3:5 ⁵At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.”

            This is the last Sunday of Christmas, and the 12 days of Christmas will be over tomorrow. Have you asked God for all the Christmas presents you want to receive from Him?  Of course God has not made you king of the Jews like He did Solomon, at least not that I know of.  So if you only had one more day to ask God for something what would it be?  You see, God is giving us the same command that He gave Solomon, “Ask what I shall give you.” Isn’t this great?  God is commanding us to ask Him to give us something.  Wow!  What will you ask Him to give you? 

I’m sure that because this is a sermon and we’re in church you will give the righteous Christian answer. Especially since we are surrounded by our peers, we’ll answer with a response that will bring glory to ourselves.  We do that you know, bring glory to ourselves instead of God.  We don’t bring glory to ourselves in such deliberate actions per say; rather we ourselves don’t always realize what we are doing and when we are doing it when we are bringing glory to ourselves. If we were by our self and God said we could ask for anything we wanted, what would that truly be?

Solomon, like most believers start off on the right foot, he does the right things and his heart was honestly in the right place at the right time.  Solomon asked for the will of God.

1 Kings 3:7&9 ⁷And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.

⁹Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

            This is great! A young believer looking at the life of his father, and all that his father had achieved and realized that he Solomon was just an inexperienced boy asked to serve God and God’s people.  Oh how great that would be if God would put us in charge of His people.  We could show them a thing or two.  Oh, “wait a hold it,” we are but children too.  Though we might be

 

adults in this world, we really are inexperienced in God’s world. 

Could we be as wise as Solomon and ask for God’s guidance or do we already know all that we need to know?  What would you ask for?  And what little knowledge would you base your asking on?  Solomon though a child looked at his earthly father’s beliefs and service to God and realized he did not measure up to his father’s abilities and wisdom.  What should we ask God?  And if we got what we asked for would we or could we use it to benefit God’s plan for all.

1 Kings 3:11&12 ¹¹And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, ¹²behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.

            Solomon asked for the good of others, and not for his own good.  Anita and I have talked many times about winning the lottery and how much joy it would be to give it to family and friends and others too.  But who would receive the glory in the giving, would it be for our joy or for the glory of God?  Now if you could give gifts anonymously that the news would report an anonymous giver.  Maybe the one receiving such a gift would say it was an angel or God.  But what would we say, if it were from us.  You have heard me say “God made me do it.”  Maybe I should change it to “God blest me to do it.” 

            Solomon not only was given what he asked for but also those things we would cherish in this world, riches and long life.  Solomon seemed to have the wisdom too and heart to ask for God’s will for all.  Do you think Solomon realizing the blessings God had already given His people influenced his asking?

1 Kings 3:13&14 ¹³I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. ¹⁴And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”

            Here’s a thought, God has given us all the same things He has given Solomon only in a greater way.  If we are to ask in the will of God then let us ask for eternal life with Him in heaven.  Oh

 

wait, we don’t have to ask for His perfect will and eternal life.  Oh yea, wow, He has given us that gift without us asking.  We receive a gift to cherish that is much greater than wisdom, riches and long life to be used in this world. 

Christ came to give us the most wonderful gift that truly is the will of our Father in heaven.  It is the perfect example of God’s will, that is, it really is God’s will to save us for His joy and for our joy.  God’s will is to show His love to us through an eternal relationship with Him in a new earth and in a new heaven made perfect by His word.  The Father is giving each of us through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ His wisdom, righteousness, and riches beyond our understanding until we drink of it a new in Christ’s Father’s house.  Amen.

 

By Pastor Curtis A. May

 

Go in His peace and serve the Lord