Asking Shapes Me

2 Chronicles 1: ⁷ That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

⁸ Solomon answered God, “You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place. ⁹ Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. ¹⁰ Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

¹¹ God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, ¹² therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.”

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GOD knows everything right? Then why does HE ask Solomon to “ask” HIM for something? I mean HE knows what Solomon will ask so why doesn’t HE just give it to him and be done with it? In fact, why doesn’t HE just give me my cushy life with plants that never die in a warm tropical bug-free place with people surrounding me who are praising GOD day and night?

• GOD has given me free will to choose HIM.
• GOD somehow allows me to actually pick my direction.
• GOD enables me to make choices and HE has rewards and consequences attached to them.

GOD doesn’t always just step in and steer things in my life. HE lets me choose my path. Unfortunately if sin and fear get in the way, I won’t choose HIM. That’s why HE had to die for me because I would never choose HIM. When GOD takes me to a very scary place my choices are critical. Choose HIM with faith, trust and obedience or cower away with fear, doubt and disobedience.

• GOD wants me to choose HIS way which shapes me to obey HIM.
• GOD wants me to ask for the items that please HIM which grows my faith in HIM.
• GOD wants me to believe HE has a wonderful plan for me which strengthens my trust in HIM.

Asking actually is like exercise. The more I ask for the things GOD wants me to ask for, the stronger my faith becomes. The reason I will be able to believe larger things will come to fruition is because I would have seen GOD deliver me from the multitude of smaller things.

• Are you ready to grow your faith?
• Can you begin asking GOD for smaller things and watch HIM deliver you?
• Will you begin to put your trust in HIM today?