In fiction a wish is a supernatural demand placed on the recipient’s unlimited request. When it is the center of a tale, the wish is usually a template for a morality tale, "be careful what you wish for" writ large; it can also be a small part of a tale, in which case it is often used as a plot device.
The template for most fictional wishes is The Book of One Thousand and One Nights, specifically the tale of Aladdin. Although in the tale of Aladdin the actual wishes were only part of the tale and his demands, while outrageous per se, were mainly variations on wealth (which is still often taken as the most ’common’ request).
Magical possibilities aside, the act of formulating a wish can be beneficial. The wisher has an opportunity to identify what they most desire ("I can have anything at all in the world--what do I want?"). Often, wishing is a time for first becoming aware of a previously-unarticulated hope. Once identified, these hopes can become personal goals.
Typically, opportunities for wishes come in threes. And this is significant because mankind has three basic wishes. In fact they are actually rights which have been so eloquently enumerated in the American Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson, piggy backing off of sagacious political philosopher John Locke, asserts “we hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” There’s not a single human being alive who doesn’t want life, liberty, and property (as John Locke puts it) or the pursuit of happiness. These three wishes are the foundation of the American dream. In the book Of Mice and Men, George and Lenny imagine a day when they are no longer farmhands but they own their own land, make their own rules, and live their own lives. But yet and still we ask for more wishes. Because its not enough that I’ve got life, I want health. Its not enough that I’ve got property, I want wealth. Its not enough that I’ve got liberty, I want control.
If you had a wish that you knew would come true, what would you wish for? If you were to ask a child this same question, unable to wait a moment longer—all smiles—bouncing from one foot to the other—he/she then reports what children have been saying down through the years, each one sure nobody ever thought of such a clever answer before, “I’d ask for more wishes!
I was listening to a song the other day by Ray J, Brandy’s brother. In it he’s talking to his ex-girlfriend about how things used to be or at least how he perceived them to have been. He says I’ve messed up, I was a fool and now I’m sorry. He says I think I need a bottle with a genie in it. Here’s my wishlist: First one, I would create a heart changing love. Second one, I’ll take yours and fill it all the way up. Third one, but I don’t need a lot of wishes cause I’d be okay if I get one. If I had one wish…
I wonder how many of us can share in brother Ray J’s sentiments that if I only get one wish, I’d be okay. Because more and more I’m coming to realize that I actually only need one wish to cover the entire gamut of my desires. And apart from the fact that my request might sound a little sanctimonious, I’m open to sharing it with you. In fact, what great ambition could any created being have, than to experience (like Abraham) an intimate, sustained friendship with one’s creator?
The moment the Spirit has quickened us to life in regeneration our whole being senses its kinship to God and leaps up in joyous recognition. This is the heavenly birth without which we cannot see the Kingdom of God. It is, however, not an end but an inception, for now begins the glorious pursuit, the heart’s happy exploration of the infinite riches of the Godhead. This is where we begin but where we stop no man has yet discovered. In the awful and mysterious depths of the triune God there is neither limit nor end.
Shoreless ocean, who can sound thee? Thine own eternity is round thee! Majesty divine! We taste thee, o thou living bread, and long to feast upon the still. We drink of thee, the fountain head, and thirst our souls from thee to fill. My single wish then is to know the Lord ever more intimately, to sense his presence in my life in ways even beyond the beauty of what has been experienced to date. I want to trust him more. I want to enjoy growing closer with God. I’ve come far enough in this relationship to have discovered an important truth. The better acquainted I am with God, the more I’m aware of his insistence on holiness.
Family this is a matter that God is not open to negotiating even in the slightest. Oh, you could try and bring the subject up and say, “I think you’re too stubborn on this issue God. Now I’ve made some pretty big concessions to you. I’d think on this matter of sin, possibly you could compromise just a little.” I guarantee you he won’t budge. In him there is no shadow of turning! And the fact is that the privilege of getting next to him is what carries with it an awareness that God places great emphasis on this truth.
You recall the words of John who was the closest to God’s son. He wrote “if we claim we have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his son purifies us from all sin.”
You recall Isaiah in the Old Testament writing: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs…And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” They could’ve said a lot! They could’ve said sovereign, sovereign, Sovereign is the Lord. They could’ve said Omnipotent, Omnipotent! Omniscient, omniscient. That’s still not it.—They called out holy, holy holy!
At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. And Isaiah said “Woe is me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
And you know, I have a suspicion—no a conviction—that to draw near to God in any age is to come away with this same impression, he is holy indeed!
This doesn’t imply we can’t know him as a friend. It only means he can never be thought of exclusively in that way.
In the Tales of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, the Christ figure is Aslan the lion, and he can be gentle and play and romp. “But be careful” warns the writer, “he’s not a tame lion you know!” And with these words Lewis helps his readers understand there’s another side to this personality that’s awesome and to be respected and even feared. This truth he captured figuratively is consistent with the picture of God in the sacred Scriptures. Yes, he’s a friend who sticks closer than a brother, but he’s also an all consuming fire.
Some of the greatest of saints, unfortunately, had to learn this lesson the hard way. Who worshipped the Lord like Israel’s David? He was a man after God’s own heart, but he also found this privilege of intimacy that he knew was not to be taken for granted. Who knew fellowship with God like Adam? But that closeness still didn’t insulate him from his Creator’s judgment of his disobedience. Who’s been part of a church that could possibly compare to the one in Acts chapter five? Yet the very nearness of that body to God proved to be not safety for Ananias and Sapphira when they lied, but their very destruction.
So walking with God doesn’t give allowance for laxity regarding sin—even though such an unconscious attitude seems to characterize many of us in here. It’s as though what sends folk straight to hell, suddenly becomes appetizing to God once you’re born again.
So we get couples asking “How can it be such a big issue in our marriage?” “It’s just a little thing between us. So we flirt now and then, that’s all! You know that the great majority of my love is given you, isn’t that enough?” You ain’t really satisfied with that and neither is God, when those who say they seek to share his intimacy still make silly overtures toward his enemy. When you’re getting closer to him there oughta not be any little sins! Naw like the song from back in the day says “the closer I get to you, the more you make me see!” I’ve got to think every sin is a big sin when I’m close to God if that’s what it takes for me to resist sin.
In that context I’m reminded of Psalm 99. It begins with the majesty of God: the Lord reigneth, let the people tremble. He sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved. The Lord reigns so everybody should tremble. When I was younger and all my siblings and I still lived in the house, we knew when it was time to go to bed. It wasn’t cause we started getting restless. We weren’t falling asleep watching TV. Nobody’s eyes appeared bloodshot. All that happened was momma said “I’m tired.” And we had such reverent fear of her. The same woman who nursed my wounds. The same woman who tucked me in at night with a kiss. The same woman who cut my hotdog into pieces for me so I wouldn’t choke. The same woman who came in the room and rocked me when it was storming outside. Is the same woman who could in a heartbeat brandish a belt, a switch, a towel. The same woman who proved to us a lesser known fact that indeed, shoes can fly. When she said “I’m tired,” it was time for everybody to go bed.
The psalmist says evil been on the throne long enough. God is tired. He’s overthrowing evil and taking over the throne and that’s why everybody should tremble. Out of reverent fear! He hasn’t spoken yet but you oughta be trembling at the idea of him speaking. Because in Psalm 29 David tells us the voice of the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon! That right there? That’s just a little thunder. That’s just God clearing his throat and that oughta make you tremble but don’t let him speak! Cause when he speaks the earth’s got to move!
When he speaks, faultlines shift and volcanoes erupt! When he speaks, tsunamis wipe out coastal cities! When he speaks, tornadoes demolish entire towns! When he speaks, hurricanes flood gulfs! When he speaks! If I had one wish, its that somebody would realize he’s speaking and its time for us to get right! The Lord is great in Zion and he is exalted above all the people! Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy!
You understand that our word reverent literally translates into “God is terrible.” And terrible is from the Latin word terrere which means to frighten or cause terror. Terror has the indo-european base ters that means to tremble. Although the enemies of the church of God are in a tumult, and the whole earth is moved, yet we still trust our salvation to him and acknowledge and diligently celebrate his power displayed in the defense of his people and the overthrow of his enemies.
The father’s name is great for he is the source, the Creator, the Lord of all. The son’s name is terrible for he is to be our judge. The name of the Holy Ghost is holy for it is he who hallows us and sanctifies us. The misery of sin consists not merely in its consequences, but in its very nature, which is to separate God and our souls, and to shut us out from God and God from us. But thank God for the Spirit indicates in the covenant of grace, a threefold practical influence of his holiness upon us.
The various steps are marked as praise, exaltation, and worship. Worship of course is the most difficult to realize because it is in the nature of conscious sin to prevent our approaches to God, to keep us from all comfortable fellowship with him, and to full us with a heavy sense of our infinite and almost hopeless distance from him. Yet, we will praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy!” Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised! It is most glorious and high. Far above all human conceptions. But his name is not only great and terrible in its manifestations, it is holy and therefore we praise it.
In acts of mans vindictive justice there is something of impurity, perturbation, passion, some mixture of cruelty; but none of these fall upon God in the several acts of wrath. When God appears to Ezekiel in the resemblance of fire, to signify his anger against the house of Judah for their idolatry, “from his loins downward there was the appearance of fire, but from the loins upward the appearance of brightness, as the color of amber.” His heart is clean in his most terrible acts of vengeance; it is pure flame wherewith he scorches and burns his enmies. He is holy in the most fiery appearance.
Then I like verse 5. The psalmist invites everybody to exalt the Lord and worship at his footstool. He says, the Lord is tired yall! He’s tired, he overtrhew the enemy, he’s sitting down between the cherubims. Yall should be trembling. Praise his great and terrible name for it is holy. Remember his strength with joy because he loves judgment and there is no reason to be afraid of him as long as you continue to walk in the good way. But now, come and worship him at his footstool.
Would somebody just think about who he is to you and worship him! Just think about what has he done for you lately and praise him! Even when he speaks can you praise him! Praise him cause he’s great in his rest! Praise him cause he’s great in the glory he manifests! Praise him cause he’s great in the assembly he draws! Praise him cause he’s great in the blessings he imparts! Praise him cause he’s great in the authority he exerts! The terrors of the Lord are worthy of our praise.
How do we praise him? Skip over to the next number, the 100th Psalm… Praise him in your affection! Praise him in your meditation! Praise him in your supplication! Praise him in your conversation! Praise him in your profession! Praise him in your consecration! Praise him in your cooperation! Praise him in your expectation! Praise him, he’s worthy! Praise him, he’s holy! Praise him!
Moses and Aaron were among his priests, and Samuel was among those who called upon his name; they called upon the Lord, and he answered them. He spoke to them in the pillar of clod; they kept his testimonies and the statutes that he gave them. You answered them. O Lord our God: You were a forgiving God to them, although avenging their evildoing and wicked practices. Extol the Lord our God and worship at his holy hill, for the Lord our God is holy!
If I had one wish, surely…goodness and mercy would follow me all of the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever! If I had one wish, we would be best friends Jesus. Love would never end, it would just begin! If I had one wish, promise to love you, trust me I’ll trust you! If I had one wish, I’d make you my whole life, and we’d make it right this time! One wish, one wish, one wish!
