Certainties of God

“Ask! What shall I give you?... Behold I have done according to your words…And I have also given you what you have not asked for.” 1 Kings 3:5, 12-13

This exchange of words was between God and King Solomon near the beginning of his reign. I just love that God invited Solomon to ask for anything he wanted. God loved Solomon and had placed His blessing and favor on his life. King Solomon could have asked for anything since God didn’t set any caveats around the request. Of all the things King Solomon could have asked for he chose wisdom and understanding. God granted not only what he asked for but gave him additional things such as riches and honor. The last sentence of this passage leaped off the page when I read it and landed right in the middle of my heart.

You see, for many months my sister Benay has been praying that God would give her discernment regarding her vocation. She currently is approaching the two-year mark of working in a very challenging but fulfilling position at a men’s prison. She fully understood that God placed her there, embracing what was most likely one of the toughest work assignments she has ever had. But over the past few months she has felt the urging of the Holy Spirit to get ready to depart that position. Through several disappointing job opportunities on which God closed the doors, a few days ago a door was blown off the hinges! Not only did God give her the job that she wanted with a different organization, but He gave her financial blessings in the offer that she was not expecting. And as if that wasn’t enough, she will be able to work from home the majority of the time…‘something she had not asked for.’

Don’t you just love when the ancient writings of thousands of years ago apply to our lives? God still is asking, ‘What shall I give you? What is it that you desire?’ If it aligns with His will and serves the purposes that He has deemed for us, He will do it! And not only does He give us things we pray for, but He gives us much more. While there are a few big prayer items that I haven’t yet received, there are so many things He has given me that I never asked for. That is our God and that is His character motivated by His love for us. When I start feeling impatient for not getting my one or two big prayer requests, I only have to look around and see the thousands of blessings I never asked for but received from Him.

"We don't have to understand the why of God's ways. But we do have to keep choosing to follow them. Let's not stop short of our victory with God. He is still working things out. He is present. His plan is still good, and He can still be trusted. These are true certainties even when life feels so uncertain." Trustworthy - Overcoming Our Greatest Struggles to Trust God, Lysa TerKeurst, p. 41.