A man was walking along a California beach when he stumbled across an old lamp. He picked it up and rubbed it and out popped a genie.

The genie said “OK so you released me from the lamp blah blah blah, but this is the fourth time this week and I’m getting a little sick of these wishes, So you can forget about three. You only get one wish.”

The man sat and thought about it for a while and said, “I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii but I’m too scared to fly and I get very seasick. So could you build me a bridge to Hawaii so I can drive over there?”

The genie laughed a replied, “That’s impossible. Think of the logistics of that. How would the supports ever reach the bottom of the Pacific? Think of how much concrete… How much steel! No think of another wish.”

The man agreed and tried to think of a really good wish. He said, “I’ve been married and divorced four times. My wives have always said I don’t care and that I’m insensitive. I wish that I could understand women. To know what they are thinking when they give me the silent treatment, to know why they are crying, to know what they want when they say ‘nothing’…”

The genie replies “You want that bridge two lanes or four?”

This tired, old joke from my past might give us a momentary chuckle; but it also reminds us that God is not a genie to grant our wishes!  God does not pop into our lives to give us what we think we want but abides with us to provide all He knows we will need when we call on HIS name.  

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

To take delight in the Lord comes from “being still, letting go of what we think as humans, to really know who God is and what He wants—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Psalm 46:10; Romans 12:1-2) To desire the heart of God means we must seek to know God’s heart and character. As we grow to know God; we discover our weaknesses and realize we the need for His strength. He responds by molding and shaping our hearts to be more like His.  The result of our “running after the heart of God” like Daivd, we notice the daily, glorious transformation of our whole being.  We see ourselves desiring to see life from His grander point of view, to see others from His unconditional loving perspective, and we look at every challenging circumstance with seeking first His knowledge and wisdom. Our prayer, “what do you want, Lord?”  supersedes our wishes.

THIS is delighting ourselves in the Lord. God responds with being delighted with us.

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

The God of all creation delights, takes great joy, in every detail of our lives!  These words are given to us to emphasize His intimate presence, quietening love, and exuberant joy over His people.  Let us pause for as long as we need as we wrap our heads around this truth and realize the true depth of His love for us!  Our Almighty God sees us. He knows us. He delivers us for He is for us; not against us. He provides all we need when we need it most.  God is never late but always on time at the right time for our good—and so others will know Him and see His glorious power at work, too! 

2 Chronicles 1

Solomon Asks for Wisdom

Solomon son of David established himself firmly over his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.

² Then Solomon spoke to all Israel—to the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, to the judges and to all the leaders in Israel, the heads of families— ³ and Solomon and the whole assembly went to the high place at Gibeon, for God’s tent of meeting was there, which Moses the Lord’s servant had made in the wilderness. ⁴ Now David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to the place he had prepared for it, because he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. ⁵ But the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made was in Gibeon in front of the tabernacle of the Lord; so Solomon and the assembly inquired of him there. ⁶ Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the Lord in the tent of meeting and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

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.”

¹³ Then Solomon went to Jerusalem from the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting. And he reigned over Israel.

¹⁴ Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. ¹⁵ The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. ¹⁶ Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue—the royal merchants purchased them from Kue at the current price. ¹⁷ They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

I am reminded of the time Jesus was summoned to heal Lazarus but he didn’t a four day death consumed his friend. Jesus did respond with the miracle of resurrection but on His on time!  Why? So, God would be glorified through Jesus, His Son to many!  Read the whole story as written in John 11 to get the full picture.  Here are a few excerpts;

“But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. ⁷ Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.” (v 4-7)

When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. (v.17)

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (v.21)

When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (v.32)

The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” ³⁷ But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?” (v.36-37)

Jesus’ response to all who wanted the desire of their hearts to be granted and their feelings soothed was this;

“Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?”

This profound question is the great pivot in our quest to know God and His heart; we must first believe what He says! 

Jesus raised Lazarus at just the right time and place so others could see the power and majesty of God through His Son “in whom He was well pleased!”  Jesus was God in flesh and possessed the heart of God.  Jesus was the willing, obedient sacrifice  who delivered us from our sins and set us free.  Jesus who was/is/and always will be  “the resurrection and the life” willing allowed himself to be nailed to a makeshift cross of humility to die for our sins—all because of his deeply profound love for us. Back to Lazarus…

“So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” (v 41-44)

Are we still wrapped up trying to delight the hearts of those we love with a desire to please them on this earth?I’ll let you in a secret—humans are fickle and impossible to please!  And I’m one of them!  We have got to stop trying to please those around us which leads to futility; to spend all our waking moments with thoughts of desires of pleasing God. Seek first God’s heart, be still and learn from Him, then our behaviors will be transformed to please Him!  His glory will be seen in us so others can know Him, too.  We will be surprised at how easily this love expressed for God will be pleasing to others!  This pleasing God first is one of the measures of our faith in our God. And when we ask Him for what He wants to do in and through us—He is delighted! 

“I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” (v.25-26

Do we believe this,beloved friends, reading this right now? I pray we do believe with all our hearts, minds, and souls.

Solomon the new king over Israel sought the heart of the God of his father David. With hearts aligned; God gave him an opportunity to ask for anything.  Solomon sought what he knew he needed most—wisdom and knowledge from God.  When we put God first, God will guide and provide the resources. Oh, how much Solomon’s heart and response delighted God who is “always looking over all the earth for those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)  

Imagine the delight of God as He responded with; “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, 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.”

We cannot outgive God when our hearts are fully committed to delighting His heart.  Warning: the evil one likes to mess with our hearts’ motivations.  Our delight comes NOT from wishing for what we want; but from seeking what God knows we need.  Don’t fall for evil.  Believing hearts know the ever Presence of God in our lives and rely on in His relentless, unconditional love for us.  We love him because He first loved us.  We delight in Him because He delights in us. There is NO ONE like our God!

Lord,

My souls longs to delight myself in You today.  Align my heart to yours. May your will be done in all the details of my life that you know full well.  I’m listening for I am your servant.

In Jesus Name, for your glory and our good, Amen