What would you ask God for if He granted you one request?

 2 May 26

Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One


Readings:

1 Kings 3

1 Kings 4

1 Kings 5

Luke 23:1-26


Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil (1 Kings 3:9). 


What would you ask God for if He granted you one request?


The verb for “understanding” literally means to hear. At times it carries the idea of understanding as it does in 1 Kings 3:9. Solomon desires to govern the children of Israel by discerning good and evil. James informs us that God grants wisdom to all those who ask (James 1:5). Then he continues, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6). Clearly the Lord of all wisdom gives Solomon a “hearing heart” as is demonstrated by his wise decision between the two prostitutes and two babies—one alive and one dead (1 Kings 3:16-28). Let’s seek the wisdom from above by faith. 


Employment Point: Ask God for an understanding heart to serve Him wisely.

———————

Reflections

“So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?””1 Kings‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  • I think if we were to think from Solomon’s point of view, he would really have to be someone who truly loves God’s people and one who really want to make it right. Else if given any lay person when the Lord say to us “Ask for whatever you want me to give you”, it is quite unlikely that others will ask the same. 
  • We saw how Solomon truly has the wisdom of a great ruler and how he has a right relationship with God. Only when we are right with God, would we then be right with men. 
  • As we always say, seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. This is so true and more so in Solomon’s case. The Lord said in the following verse: “The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.””1 Kings‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬
  • we see how gracious our Father is to us all. When our hearts are right with God, the whatever riches or honour that the world pursue is not in our agenda. Instead it is about loving His people and how to make it right as a king. 
  • Grant us O Father, an understanding heart to serve You wisely.


“Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.””1 Kings‬ ‭3‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  • Solomon ruled with wisdom. His take was on the mother’s love for her child. For someone whose child is dead, it probably won’t matter any more if this stolen child is dead or not because it’s not her own flesh and blood. But to the child’s mother, it is everything. How can she bring herself to have the child killed? And people saw how the Lord is with Him and having judged correctly.


“The Lord gave Solomon wisdom, just as he had promised him. There were peaceful relations between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty. King Solomon conscripted laborers from all Israel—thirty thousand men.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭5‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  • only a man with such wisdom is able to build a house for the Lord. It is super clear that the Lord is with Him for his ability to manage is truly massive and beyond all human means. 
  • Sometimes we ought to look at our gifts and ask the Lord how we can make full use of our gifts to advance His kingdom. Let our gifts that is given to us not be given in vain and be able to bring glory to God.


“But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to grant their demand.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  • we probably read this verse a hundred times. We knew Jesus came to fulfil the prophecy and also the promise. However, when I read these two verses, it still was not pleasant.
  • It was mentioned. Their shouts prevailed. Which means whatever Pilate said was pointless. The crowd had their own thinking and wanted things to turn their way. We are like this too isn’t it?
  • At times we know it is wrong to do certain things but we still insisted, despite the objections, whatsoever. So what do we do? We gave in because their shouts were louder than our own convictions. They are many while I am one. It reminds me in a way that peer pressure, coercion, etc., can also be very real with whatever we are dealing with. Should be stand our ground or should we give in? For this, I pray that the Lord will also grant us wisdom to navigate through these problems and help us make the right choices.

———————-

The Passion of Patience

BY OSWALD CHAMBERS

May 02


Though it linger, wait for it. — Habakkuk 2:3


Patience is not indifference. Patience is an immensely strong rock, withstanding all onslaughts. The vision of God is the source of patience, because it gives moral inspiration. Moses was able to be patient, not because he had a sense of duty but because he had the vision of God: “He persevered because he saw him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). If God gives you a time of temptation in the wilderness, when there is no word from him at all, be patient. The power to endure is yours because you see God.


A person who has had a vision of God is devoted to God himself, not to any particular cause or issue. You always know if the vision you’re having is of God because of the inspiration it brings. When you see God, everything around you is energized. Everything is larger, more vibrant, more.


“Though it linger, wait for it.” The proof that we have the vision is that we are reaching out for more than we have grasped. It is a bad thing to be satisfied spiritually. We have the tendency to look for satisfaction in our experience. We think that because we’ve experienced salvation and sanctification, we have the power to endure anything. The instant we begin to think this way, we are on the road to ruin. If we have nothing more than our experiences, we have nothing. If we have the inspiration of the vision of God, we have more than we can experience.


Never let yourself relax spiritually. Press on toward your goal. “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12).


1 Kings 12-13; Luke 22:1-20


WISDOM FROM OSWALD

It is perilously possible to make our conceptions of God like molten lead poured into a specially designed mould, and when it is cold and hard we fling it at the heads of the religious people who don’t agree with us.

————————

Reflections

Oswald seems to say that this patience does not come from us. It comes from the vision that the Lord has helped us see, something that is beyond us and our understanding but He has helped us experience something spiritual and personal with Him, something liken to Moses experiencing the burning bush.


Have you experienced something that is full of God’s presence or any event that proves that He is so real? I hope you do. Those experiences are our encounters with the Living God and it can never be forgotten because those are special and unique. They are something not of this world and so extraordinary that it cannot be explained in logical terms. 


Those encounters had encouraged me and also proved to me that He is as real as He gets. I may not see Him personally but I strongly encounter His presence, heard Him speaking and guiding me. In some ways, we just know those words or visions cannot come from ourselves because we have no knowledge of it or it is way beyond our understanding or wisdom. It can only be God.


So let us be encouraged by His words, visions or even counsels. Let us not be afraid of challenges or tribulations. Instead, let us look up to the Lord our God, for that is where our help comes from. The Creator of heaven and earth.


Let’s pray:


Dear heavenly Father, we praise You and thank You for revealing Yourself to us. Help us to stand firm in our faith in You and not waver in times of challenges. Help us not to be afraid for You are with us. Grant us the shalom peace knowing that You are with us and stand before us, preparing for us whatever that lies ahead. Therefore, we shall have no fear and be able to boldly take the step out of our comfort zone, experiencing Your great love and moments of divine appointments. Praise You Lord. In Jesus’s most precious and loving name we pray. Amen 🙏🏻 

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