So the three wishes were all in vain. Nothing is ever quite as straight forward as you think it's going to be. Perhaps it might be a good idea to reflect, not only on the three wishes, but on how I got to the present position without asking for any of them.
The wishes actually had three defects :
1. They were very self-centred. That is, with no consideration for anyone else.
2. I was only thinking about the benefits when I made them.
3. I didn't want the responsibilities and problems that came with them.
Had I been like Solomon, I would have asked for wisdom. But he was wise enough to ask for that and therefore wiser than me! Of course, we can ask for God's guidance in our daily lives, and for help with any need or problem – and we may get what we ask for and perhaps more besides. Of course we are aware that God is caring for each of us every day. He knows our needs (and our wants) better than we do and he will decide how to deal with them in his own time. And he cares for all the people in the world, not just those who have accepted Jesus as their saviour.
If that seems a little unfair, then think back to before you asked Jesus into your life. Can you see a time when you had a specific need – a personal crisis you could see no clear answer to? Did it somehow sort itself out and you came through it, perhaps chastened, but ultimately with no permanent scars? I know I can. OK, I knew God was there but I wasn't getting involved, not asking for his help – yet, sometimes against the odds, I got through with no real damage. Lucky, or did I get some free help?
Then again, He chose me, not the other way round. I argued against it on the grounds that I was nearing retirement and out of work. Who would want an aging, unemployed, nobody on their team? Get someone young and full of get-up-and-go.
I lost the argument and found myself asking Jesus to come into my life and take over.
So I'm heartened by a phrase I found recently.
God doesn't choose those who qualify, he qualifies those he chooses.
Lord, we thank you for your guidance and for the help we get in times of trouble. May we show our appreciation of your love and mercy by qualifying for whatever task you set us without reservation. Amen.
Jim Finch
Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 133:1-3, Ezekiel 47:1-48:35, 1 Peter 4:1-19
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