Sunday, November 27, 2016

when God gives us what we ask for, but don't want

Lewis talks about being cast out of the garden today in A Year with C.S. Lewis.

He says that the original people, whom we refer to as Adam and Eve, asked God to give them something apart from Him. Something to call their own, which they could decide to share with Him or not. And He gave them what they asked for.

There are other times in the Bible when we see God giving people what they ask for. Israel asked for a king. God knew they wouldn't like it when they got one, but they kept asking, so He gave them one. Sure enough, they didn't like it.

That brings us to today. What do you think we ask for that God is willing to give us, but that we don't really want once we have it? I think it's probably different for everyone, to some extent. But one thing that comes to mind is wealth. Everyone thinks that if only they had great wealth, they would be happy. But when you look at the lives of the wealthy, you almost never find happiness. Wealth almost always brings misery and destruction. Are there exceptions? Sure. I think God does actually call some people to be good stewards of large amounts of money. Jesus said that he who is faithful with a little will be given much more. And we see God blessing Solomon with enormous wealth in the OT.

But, again, that's the exception. The rule is Proverbs 30:8-9. In this prayer, the wise man says "God, don't give me too little, or I might be tempted to steal. Don't give me too much, or I might turn my back on You. Just give me my daily bread."

And He not only gives us our daily bread, He IS our daily bread. The wise man realizes this, and makes everything he owns part of his relationship with the daily bread that is Jesus. Don't know how to do that? Just ask. He'll show you.

God, thank You for giving us the goldilocks amount... not too much, not too little. Just right. And thank You for being our daily bread.