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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Sometimes in our hectic lives we just need a little reminder of this passage and the wonderful promise of  rest for those who come to Jesus.

We can often get overwhelmed by the things that life throws our way, or just be very busy “doing” church and getting involved in many good, but distracting things.  Sometimes even the good things we are doing can become too much because either we are not seeking God in them, or we are doing more than God is asking us to do.

We can carry all sorts of unnecessary yolks; the yoke of others’ expectations, the yoke of our own drive and ambition, the yoke of responsibility, the yoke of duty or obligation, the yoke of guilt and many other besides. These things wear us down and dull our spirits as we try to walk under the weight of them.

This is not what our Lord and Saviour wants for us! His desire is for us to live according to his Spirit, to carry His light yoke, because he has already taken all these burdens from us at the cross. We no longer need to strive to please him, or others. We no longer need to prove ourselves or live under the guilt of not being able to do all things for all people. Instead we need to sit at the feet of our wonderful saviour and ask Him His plans for us today, then to receive his provision to face the day in His strength alone. For we know that Jesus gives us everything we need, he gives us our daily bread and helps us through every trial and temptation.

Today, I pray that you will go to Jesus and receive the rest he is offering you. Rest from worries, rest from labours, rest for your soul. May you know clearly what He is asking of you and what burdens you need to give over to Him to carry. I pray that you will learn to live each day in the power of the Holy Spirit, not relying on your own strength, but knowing that in Christ you have everything you need.

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

There are over 700 mentions of the heart in the bible. We are commanded to love God with "all our hearts" (Deuteronomy 6:5), we are warned to "guard our hearts as they are the wellspring of life" (Proverbs 4:23) and we are told that "where our treasure is, our hearts will be also" (Matthew 6:21).  Jeremiah 17:9 claims that "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure" and Matthew 15:19 says "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander" which doesn’t paint a very hopeful picture of us being able to get our hearts in the right place with God at all! We’re going to need some help…!

So what can we learn from what the bible says, and how do we put this into practice?

Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God.

Psalm 139 says the following:
²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

That’s a good place to start – asking God to reveal our hearts to us. Sometimes we can presume our hearts are in the right place, but actually rather than having hearts fully after God, we find out that often our hearts are divided or our motivations are not right. Just because our hearts are telling us something, doesn’t mean it’s automatically going to be right.

One way the bible tells us of finding our where our heart is, is to look at where we invest (what’s our treasure?) Matthew 6:21 : "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Where do we choose to spend our available time and money?  What do we choose to invest our energy or finances in? What do we spend much of our time thinking about? If the answers are  not "God / Jesus / God’s kingdom / loving the Lord & our neighbours" then we’re investing in the wrong things, and our hearts are not aligned to God.

God knows well that we often follow our hearts, and sometimes we follow our heads, but actually neither of these are the right things to follow!! That’s why there are so many warnings in the bible, and verses telling us to set our hearts on God and on his laws. Instead of following our hearts (or our heads) we should be following God’s word, and the Holy Spirit living in us, seeking God for his will and his plans for our lives. Like the request in the psalm above we should be praying "lead me in the way everlasting" We cannot walk on the right path without asking and following God… our hearts will lead us astray.

Psalm 86:11 says "Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name." I think it’s key that we realise a lot of the time our hearts can be divided. We want to live for God and trust God fully, but although perhaps a good percentage of our hearts are willing, there’s often another part of our hearts that cannot fully let go and trust God. Because we don’t always get what we want, our hearts try to trick us into believing that perhaps our way is actually better than God’s!! We cannot be divided! James 1:6-8 says a double-minded man is "unstable in all he does." We must ask God continually to help us with our divided hearts, so that we can learn to have hearts that are sold out for Him and prepared to walk in all his ways, not just the ones that suit us.

Proverbs has a lot to say about man’s heart, including this "Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails" Proverbs 19:21. Therefore, what we need to do is learn to align our hearts with God’s, so that God’s plans are our plans! If not, our plans are not going to get us far!  Proverbs also says  "trust in the LORD with all your  heart and lean not on your own understanding" Proverbs 3:5.

There’s a passage in the bible that’s quoted quite a lot : Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart". A really lovely passage, but what we need to be careful of is that we don’t skip over the first bit of this passage “delight yourself in the Lord” and rush straight into the getting the desires of our heart bit!! It’s when our hearts are totally after God, when we love to be in his presence and are so thankful to him for all he has done, that our hearts become aligned to God’s own heart. We start to get glimpses of his heart for us, and for others, and our selfishness and our own desires get put back in their place. That’s when we start to desire the things that God desires and our hearts stop leading us astray.

So in Summary: Don’t trust your heart!! It can be very deceitful! Do love God with all your heart and you can’t go far wrong! Ask God to test your heart and be willing to work on anything he reveals to you. Look for yourself at where you spend your time and money to get an idea of if your heart’s currently focused on the right things. Trust The Lord with all your heart, and don’t be divided – He’s the only one who is faithful. Pray for God to help you to do this so that you can love and serve him fully. Delight yourself in God, and your heart will become aligned to his, then he will be pleased to give you the desires of your heart!

Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God.  1 Chronicles 22:19

It’s been a while since I’ve spoken about love in a bible study, and today I felt like it was time to revisit what I believe is the most important thing to God (Wow, now there’s a bold, put-yourself-on-the-line statement!!)

Not a wishy-washy mushy sentimental feeling that you see in the movies, but the choosing to put God and others before ourselves. Not putting ourselves down (we are all loved and equal in God’s eyes) but realising that through loving and serving others we too are blessed and set free to live our lives as God intended.

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 1 John 3:18-24

God shows us in 1 John 3:18-24 that when we love with “actions and in truth” (not just saying it, but living it) that’s when our hearts can be at peace with God (even when sometimes our heart tries to tell us otherwise!) and how we know we are his children. When we love, this is a sure sign of our faith and relationship with God, and we can come into his presence without worry or fear, but knowing we will find rest.

1 Peter 4:8 even says that love “covers over a multitude of sins.” Not that we can sin lots as long as we love people enough (this is not loving for the right reasons after all!) but that when we sin, God still sees that in our hearts we want to love him and put others first, even if in practice we make mistakes along the way. The story of David is such a good example of this. It is said that David was a man after God’s own heart, and yet David did some pretty bad things – like committing adultery and then killing the husband!!! – but when his eyes were opened to what he had done, he fell on the floor and was horrified at how he had managed to sin against God in such an awful way. Notice that he said he had sinned “against God” (not the husband) because he knew first and foremost that when he sinned it was God he was hurting, and he was truly sorry for what he had done. Just read what God himself says of David when talking to his son Solomon : "As for you, if you walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did… 1 Kings 9:4 You What?? Say that again?! Did God just totally forget that David was an adulterer AND a murderer?! Yes he did. Not because he is forgetful, but because he chose not to hold it against him. David had got down on his face in shame when he realised his sin and repented before God. God knew David’s heart and that David truly loved Him, and so when God spoke of David he didn’t bring up his past sin and mistakes, he remembered instead David’s love for his God and his desire to do God’s will.

From another perspective, love between one another, it’s like having a friend who makes lots of mistakes, who regularly puts their foot in it and never seems to be able to make it anywhere on time, they still haven’t paid back that tenner you lent them (and you know you’re unlikely to see it again). Yet this friend knows you so well – sometimes better than you know yourself! They’ve seen you at your best and your worst, but for some reason, they still think you’re great. You know you can call them night or day and they’ll always answer the phone when they see your name pop up on the screen. And, although they ruined your best top by accidentally squirting ketchup down it, and snapped at you last week when they were tired, you forgive them every single time. Why? Because none of that other stuff really matters when love is at the centre of your friendship.

Do you see? Love can cover over all the other stuff, it doesn’t make any of it right, but when you know that someone genuinely loves you and cares about you (and you love them too), the other stuff may be sooo annoying and also quite painful at times, but you choose to forgive, not because you have to, but because you love them and you want to be back in that right relationship with them.

When we love one another, we can be united, despite our differences and the mistakes that we make. When we love we can forgive and choose to re-build relationships, rather than allowing them to be destroyed by an argument or misunderstanding. This brings glory to God, and shows others who He is!

When we love God we can also forgive ourselves when we mess up because we understand that God doesn’t want to punish us or make us suffer. Having a loving relationship with God gives us the freedom to come to Him quickly when we sin, to ask for forgiveness and be straight back in that right relationship with our loving father, knowing he will never hold it against us.

Love also helps us not to sin, because we do not want to hurt those we love, especially when they’ve loved us, and forgiven us so unconditionally.

Jesus replied: " ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:37-39

The thing about love is: Love is the greatest thing we can do!

…That is why I believe love is the most important thing to God.

 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.

But the greatest of these is

love

1 Corinthians 13:13

²⁷ Why do you say, O Jacob,
and complain, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?

²⁸ Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Isaiah 40:27-29

I know I have used this passage before, but I was reading it again today and I think I needed to be reminded of it, and I’m sure others may too. Verses 30 & 31 are the more famous verses of this passage, but I decided to leave them out (you can go and read them yourself if you wish!)

v27: Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”?

We can sometimes feel and then speak out to others things like “Why is God letting this happen” or “Why hasn’t God done anything.” We start to allow ourselves to think that we have been left to fend for ourselves and that God’s either not listening or he doesn’t care! We need to be so careful because anyone who reads the bible for themselves should know that this is not true! And to speak it out is telling God he’s unfaithful when God is the only faithful One! God promises to always be with us and never leave us. (1)

v28: Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

I like this! Of course we know, of course we’ve heard, yet sometimes we act like we don’t know (which is why I think this is written how it is!)  We can slip back into our old ways of thinking, we can forget who God is, and that nothing is impossible for him! We need reminding that he’s not like us, he’s eternal and nothing brings him down or makes him weary!! He also does things differently from us and thinks differently from us.. We may want him to remove a situation, he may want us to learn from it first! We can try to second guess God but unless he reveals to us his plans, we will never know! We must just trust that He is  Good (because we know He is!) and that He will turn things for good for those who love Him (because we know He will!) (2)

v29: He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Notice what isn‘t said in this verse. It isn’t said that God will take away our problems. It isn’t said that he will remove the circumstances we are going through (God’s ways are not our ways!). Yet he does promise to restore our strength when we are weary, and give us power when we are weak. He’ll give us everything we need to overcome whatever we are going through and to persevere in tough times! Why dosen’t God just take away the hard stuff? Because it’s through the hard times that we grow more like Jesus, that we develop our character and that we exercise our faith… but that’s a whole other bible study!

If you feel weak or weary today, first thank God that he’s right there with you and then ask him to come and strengthen you and give you the power to overcome.

Trouble & Trials our view vs God’s view

Our View

1. God is punishing me
2. God mustn’t be good after all, he’s not blessed me like he promised.
3. I didn’t sign up for all this suffering, wasn’t being a Christian supposed to make life easier?
4. Where is God when I’m going through this?

God’s View

1. Trials are not a punishment – they are a faith, character & hope building exercise! God tells us we should receive trials and even suffering with Joy..

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-4

(Note, however, that God does discipline those he loves. Hebrews 12:5-7)

2. God has already blessed us with every Spiritual Blessing in Christ. He also promises to turn all things round for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

3. Jesus clearly told us that, in following him, we would face trouble, trials and suffering. Our faith is not about a nice ticket to heaven and an easy ride. Jesus said us we must deny ourselves and lay down our own lives (“take up your cross”) in order to follow him, just as he did for us.

And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. Luke 9:22-24

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.  John 16:33b

4. God has promised to always be with us in the trials, but not to take them away! We need to remember that Jesus has all authority and He is with us always! In our weakness – God is strong!

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  Isaiah 43:2

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.“ Matthew 28:18-20

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

God’s word is truth. We need to ask God to help us align our views/feelings with the word of God so that we can live lives of freedom and truth. Lives that are pleasing to God and that give him all the glory!

“If you squeeze a lemon you should get lemon juice, if you squeeze an orange you should get orange juice. If you squeeze a Christian, you should get Christ”

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Matthew 6:21 / Luke 12:34

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

I don’t know about you, but if there’s one thing I have to constantly check myself on, it’s what I allow to come out of my mouth! I can so easily get into saying negative stuff or things that are not bringing glory to God or encouragement to others.

I learned that the word unwholesome could also mean rotten – like rotten fruit. The bible tells us that we are to bear good fruit, and that we will be recognised by the fruit that we produce, as this fruit comes from what’s in our hearts. (Read Luke 6:43-45 and Matthew 12:33-37).

We need to watch ourselves carefully as negative, dishonest, unkind or vulgar words are not coming from a heart that loves God and is in fellowship with him. James 3:10 says “Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.”

We are not told just to stop speaking bad stuff, but to replace it with good stuff! We are to be people who speak words of encouragement to others, words that will build people up in the faith and will help people to grow and be encouraged. We are to speak things which will “benefit those who listen”.

Proverbs 12:18 says that reckless words pierce like a sword but when we speak wise words these bring healing. Wouldn’t you like your words to bring healing into other people’s lives?

I encourage you to take notice of what comes our of your mouth, as it’s an overflow of what’s in your heart and it reflects your true relationship with God. You can do a health check on your heart just by listening to your words!

Let us strive to have hearts that are right with God so that we only speak words that produce good fruit! Ones that bring healing and encouragement to others, and praise and glory to God. As we seek God, and continue to be filled with the Holy Spirit, He will change our hearts and help us to speak out of the overflow of His love, His grace and His mercy in our lives! How then could we ever speak anything negative!?

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:20

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Matthew 24:42-44

It’s been a good few years now since Jesus walked the earth and went to the cross for us. He ascended to heaven and left us with our Mission: to go out and make disciples, reminding us that he’s going to come back, and when he does we better be ready!!

Are you ready for when Jesus comes back?

What if he came tomorrow? Would you have things you wished you had done, people you wished you had talked to? Sin you would have dealt with. Life choices you would have made differently?

Are you living with the urgency and knowledge that Jesus could come back at any moment, or because it’s been over 2,000 years now are you complacently thinking that he’ll not be coming back in your life time?!

Well don’t rest on your laurels! Jesus wants us to live as though he could return any day/any minute! He wants to install in us that urgency that the disciples had! We need to have this mentality when making decisions, responding to opportunities and talking to people who don’t yet know Him. We can waste so much of our short lives by focusing on the wrong things or thinking we have plenty of time to change or to do things that really we should be doing / dealing with right now – urgently!! If there is sin in your life – repent & sort it out! If there are things God’s wanting you to do or deal with in your life, but you’re putting it off, don’t put it off any longer ! Now is the time!

We can’t live as though we’ll always have tomorrow, because one day tomorrow won’t come. Whether that’s because we die, or because Jesus returns, we know not the days of our lives, nor the time when Jesus will return. Only God does. Therefore let’s make sure we are living to please God and to fulfill the calling he has given us – as one day soon we will have to stand before God and be accountable for how we lived our lives on earth …and that day could be much sooner than we think!

Read Revelation 2 & 3. These are God’s warnings to the churches. There are so many traps we could easily fall into, yet he has warned us about them so that we can overcome these things and be welcomed into his Kingdom.

Prepare yourself! Ask God for that urgency you are missing, and ask him to help you focus on what is important for the kingdom and for your walk with him, rather than allowing the world and the devil distract you with things of no eternal value. If your focus is not Jesus, your focus is wrong! Don’t wait till tomorrow to re-focus – do it now!

I’ve had a few conversations with people recently who are finding their walk with God a bit of a struggle. Perhaps it’s the winter blues, the thought of all that dark, cold weather. Perhaps it’s tiredness or perhaps it’s spiritual attack. Either way, we all know what the “correct Christian answer” is– seek God. Yet we all also know that sometimes it’s really tough to do this when we’re tired, fed up and don’t feel like making any effort at all.

So I thought I would give you (and me!) a few tips on how to beat the blues by seeking God!

Tip 1) Remind yourself that it’s not about feelings. I think this is the biggest trap we can fall into. Because we don’t feel “it” or feel like worshipping or feel like praying, we give up before we’ve even started. Feelings are unfaithful – God IS faithful! Therefore, let us trust in God & his Word more and in our feelings a lot less!

Tip 2) Remind yourself of the Truth in scripture. Pick out some encouraging verses of who God is and who you are in him (even if you feel it’s not true.. it IS true, so start claiming it).

Read them OUT LOUD, not in your head. The spoken word has power. Your spirit responds to the spoken word (faith comes by hearing) and you will find yourself being built up just by speaking out words of truth.

Try some of the verses below as a starter, but on a good day try to pick out some scripture for yourself so that when a bad day comes along you can look at your personal list on the wall/fridge/in your diary and read them out-loud to yourself and to God. Turn them around too, so you are talking to God through the scriptures and thanking him for his blessings…

For example:

Thank you Father God that in ALL things you work for the good of those who love you, who have been called according to your  purpose. Romans 8:28

Thank you Jesus that you promise that you are always with me, by the Holy Spirit, and that you will never leave me. Matthew 28:20 & John 14:16

Thank you Jesus that I can do everything through the strength that you give me! Philippians 4:13

Thank you Lord that you know the plans you have for me. Plans to prosper me, and not to harm me, plans to give me a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Thank you Father God  that you have given me victory over sin and death through Jesus my Lord and my saviour. 1 Corinthians 15:57

Even if you don’t feel these scriptures and you actually just feel like your being a bit of a parrot, keep on going! You’re talking to your soul and feeding it with the truth, your also demonstrating to the enemy that you are choosing God’s word over his lies or your feelings. Remember that whether you feel it or not, God’s word IS the truth and it doesn’t change depending on where you are at or the day you have had.

Tip 3) Don’t listen to the lies! You know what the lies are – anything that speaks against the word of God. Anything that destroys rather than builds, anything that undermines who God is, what Jesus has done, or your relationship with Him. Choose not to dwell on these things. Like it says in Philippians 4:8, we should be thinking about whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy.. If it doesn’t fit into these categories, decide not to let yourself dwell in those negative thoughts. Even more so, don’t keep speaking them out over yourself!!! Just as the word of God spoken out-loud is powerful for building up, speaking lies over yourself has exactly the opposite effect.

Tip 4) God is always worthy to be praised. (Even if you don’t feel like it.) Pick a worship song that is easy and that you like (when you’re in a good place!) And sing it out loud to God.

Pick one that shows the greatness of God, or what he has done for you (rather than your response to him, which you may not think you can sing at that moment) For eg. “How Great is Our God” or “In Christ Alone.” And Thank God for being God! Thank Him for being constantly faithful, loving, compassionate and forgiving (even when you are not!). Thank Him that His mercies are new everyday Lamentations 3:23 (which means that even if we feel bad / fall into sin, he always has enough mercy to cover it all because of the blood of Christ, and He has the grace to give you a fresh start in Him every single day!)

Tip 5) Don’t give up easily! If you quote a couple of scriptures and attempt to sing a song and don’t get immediate results remember that although we live in a world that wants everything instantly, life really doesn’t work like that. (Just look at how awful instant coffee is! Yet people put up with it because they forget how good the real stuff is!). Press into God. Wait on Him and know that he’s listening to your prayers and he loves you with an unending love. Remember too that you may need to repent to get that connection back with God (esp. if you’ve been feeling negative as this can cause you to fall into sin more easily) Check your heart and ask for forgiveness, then go back and start again!

1 Kings 3:5-15 – Solomon asks for Wisdom

v5 [...] and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."

Solomon answered [...] v7 "Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.  8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 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?"

v10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 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, 12 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. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings[...]

Read all of 1 Kings 3:5-15 here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%203:%205-15;&version=31

God basically said to Solomon You can have absolutely anything you want – so what will it be? 

 Solomon replies and asks for wisdom, God grants his request and gives him so much more besides!!

 If you were put in that situation (a bit like the genie & the lamp) what would you ask for?  Perhaps you’d take the opportunity for your mortgage to be paid off?! How cool would that be! Or perhaps for a new job? Or for God to step into your relationships, to fix a few things for you, or to give you a new relationship with someone you can spend the rest of your life with? Perhaps you’d ask for your life to be a bit easier – for more time to do the things you want to do? Maybe for just a little bit more money, so things weren’t quite as tight? None of these are bad things, but what Solomon asked for was something that was totally in line with God’s own heart…

Solomon knew he was young and inexperienced. He knew that he’d been given a huge responsibility as king to take care of God’s people. He knew he couldn’t do it without God’s help, so he acknowledged his weakness before God and his reliance on him, and he asked for wisdom so that he could serve God well and be a blessing to the people he had been given to rule over.

v9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.

I think that’s a totally amazing request! Even more so because he was so young!  We can all learn so much from that humble and selfless request to God. God was pleased with Solomon because he asked for something to help him serve God and others well. God was so pleased with him that he decided to bless him by giving him not only world-renowned wisdom (check out the rest of Solomos story!) but also everything else that he could have (but didn’t) ask for! Just like in Matt 6:33 which was written many many years after Solomon lived  “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

What are you asking God for at the moment? Are your prayer requests motivated in serving God and others well, or are you looking more for your own personal gain? God is a wonderful caring father and he listens to all of our requests and provides for all of our needs. Trust that these things are already in his hands, and seek first God’s will and the gifts you need to serve him well. This is what pleases God, as our hearts and attitudes change to be more like Jesus – loving, serving and wanting to bless others before ourselves.