Our meditation for today is based on Ephesians 5:10, “Try to learn what pleases the Lord.” (ERV)
The above mentioned verse exhorts us to find out what are those things that are pleasing to God, and to lead such kind of lives that God would delight in. It is an unchanging fact that God loves us, and will always lavish His love on us. However, we are going to consider, ‘Who are the ones that God is pleased with?’ If there are two children in a family, a good parent will bestow equal love and affection on both of them. Nonetheless, the child who fulfills the expectation of the parents will be the one whom they are elated about. So also, though God is loving towards all of His children, we will try to understand what those things are that we can do, in order to please God.
We live in times wherein many have a faulty perception that they can do anything they want and live anyway they like, because God is gracious and loving. We know that one cannot do anything to get rid of our sins, and that is why Jesus the sinless Son of God came down to take our sins on Himself. There are so many who are content that they have accepted Jesus into their hearts, received the assurance of salvation, are confident that God is with them, attend church, read the Bible, and pray regularly. However, it is crucial that we go deeper to find out what is truly pleasing to the Lord. It is a fact that the love that God has for us is not based on our works, but the Lord is looking for those who will please Him in all they do.
1. Pray for God’s wisdom
God was pleased with Solomon
There is an incident recorded about King Solomon in 1 Kings 3:5, “At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, "Ask what I shall give you."” (ESV)
The Lord appeared to Solomon who was King over Israel, and asked him to ask for anything that he wanted, and God assured him that He would give it to him.
If God were to ask us this same question that He asked Solomon, I wonder what our request would be. Let us not presume that this was the only place where God made this kind of an offer to a man.
We read in John 14:13, “And I will do whatever you ask for in my name, so that the Father's glory will be shown through the Son.” (GNB)
The same assurance that King Solomon received in the Old Testament the Lord Jesus is offering to believers in the New Testament. However, the question is, ‘What do we ask God for when we pray to Him?’ ‘What are our requests to God?’ and ‘What do we truly desire?’
Solomon’s desire
This was Solomon’s request as recorded in 1 Kings 3:9,“Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” (ESV)
King Solomon asked God for a heart of wisdom. One translation in English says, Solomon asked God for a God-listening heart. A heart that knows the heart of God, listens to the voice of God, and does the will of God, so as to walk in the ways of God. Solomon could have asked for anything he wanted, but Solomon only asked God for a heart of wisdom. The wisdom of Solomon was renowned all over the world, because Solomon asked for the right thing from God.
Today we have to evaluate our prayers, to see, ‘What are the things we are praying for?’, and ‘What do we desire to receive from God?’
God’s response to Solomon
We read in 1 Kings 3:10, “It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.” (ESV)
When Solomon requested that God grant him wisdom to rule the people well, this thing pleased the Lord. Remember that King Solomon asked for wisdom from God so that God’s name would be glorified and honored.
What are those things that we are praying to God about? If you look at it most of it is all for our personal gratification. Instead, we too like Solomon should desire that God should give us a heart of wisdom. We go to God in prayer with our lists which include blessings, health, finances, jobs etc. Let us confess to the Lord that we have not learnt to pray as we ought to pray.
The Prayer Jesus taught
As Jesus taught His disciples to pray, the first thing He taught them was to pray saying, ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’ The primary focus of prayer is that the name of God should be glorified in our lives in all we say and do. The second aspect is ‘your Kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ God’s kingdom is one of order and discipline where His will alone is done. May this too be our prayer that God’s will should be fulfilled in our lives here on earth, just as it is done in heaven. It is crucial that we too should ask God to teach us to pray in the right way.
We are to pray that God’s kingdom should come. As those who live in this world, we are subject to the rules and regulations of the country that we are citizens of. We may be used to certain laws in our own country, but if were to move elsewhere, we have to abide by the laws of that country. Our prayer should therefore be that though we are living here on earth, we will live as citizens of heaven.
Sadly, so often our prayers have become like shopping lists which we take to God, and we ask for all those things that are ordinary and mundane, instead of asking God for things that really matter. As Solomon asked wisdom from the Lord, the Lord was pleased to grant it to him. Sometimes it is good to record our prayers and listen to them, just so we understand how the Lord feels about it. Just imagine if our children came to us only to have their needs met, and never had a relationship with us, we would certainly be disheartened. It is indeed dismal that many children are only bothered about themselves, and often times speak to their parents only when they want something from them, not realizing how much their grieve the hearts of their parents. We as believers must realize that prayer is spending time with God, having fellowship with Him, desiring to do His will, and being in the presence of God.
The blessings Solomon received
God was pleased with Solomon’s prayer and this is God’s reply to Solomon as recorded in 1 Kings 3:11-12, “and so he said to him, "Because you have asked for the wisdom to rule justly, instead of long life for yourself or riches or the death of your enemies, I will do what you have asked. I will give you more wisdom and understanding than anyone has ever had before or will ever have again.” (GNB)
The Lord firstly lauded Solomon that he did not selfishly ask for long life as anyone else would have, had they been in his place. The second thing God commended Solomon for was that he did not ask for riches. Thirdly, God was pleased that Solomon that as a King he did not desire the destruction of his enemies.
There are many who pray to God that their lives would be kept safe and secure. There is nothing wrong with asking God for a safe and long life, but the point we need to ponder upon is, ‘What is the purpose of this request?’ and ‘What are you going to do with your long life?’‘ Is it only to live this life selfishly for ourselves alone?’ Many others ask God for riches and wealth, with their focus entirely on earthly blessings. Sadly, there are also those who pray that God will destroy all those who are at enmity against them. Every time we pray we must tell God that we would use all that He bestows on us for His glory, and that we will testify to His goodness to those around us.
Remember there is nothing on the earth that we will take with us when we leave this world. This life on earth is temporary, and we are moving towards an eternity. Let us consider all that we are doing here on earth to invest for that eternity. Jesus has set us free from the bondages of sin, and we need to introspect to see how we are living. If after all that we have received from the Lord we are still entangled with the wealth and riches of the earth, we can be certain that the Lord will not be pleased with us. No wonder Paul exhorts us that we should find out what pleases the Lord in Ephesians 5:10.
We further read in 1 Kings 3:13, “I will also give you what you have not asked for: all your life you will have wealth and honor, more than that of any other king.” (GNB)
God applauded Solomon, and assured him that He would grant him all those things that he did not ask God for, namely wealth, honor and long life. There was no king who could ever be compared to King Solomon, who was the wisest King who ever ruled. Since Solomon had wisdom he was able to bring peace all around the kingdom of Israel. Solomon’s kingdom was surplus with gold, silver, wealth and riches that no other king had ever seen or enjoyed. He also enjoyed long life that God promised him.
We must pray in such a way that our prayers are pleasing to the Lord. Ask God for a heart of wisdom. A heart that is totally dependent on God, heeds his voice, and does His will alone. If this is your heart’s desire and pursuit, be sure everything else will follow after.
That is why Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”(ESV)
We must learn to live right before God, and seek the right things for only then everything else will follow suit. King Solomon is a wonderful example for such a life.
2. Pray with the right kind of faith
The Lord says in Proverbs 28:9, “If you do not obey the law, God will find your prayers too hateful to hear.”(GNB) We need to pray that our prayers are pleasing to God, and for this they are required to be based on faith.
Let us look at an incident in the New Testament.
The Roman Officer who came to Jesus
We read in Matthew 8:5-7, “When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.”” (ESV)
The Romans ruled over the Jews, and it was one of these Roman Officers (centurion) that came to Jesus. This Roman Officer went to Jesus with a request that He heal his servant who was paralyzed, and lay at his home in much pain. Notice how the Roman Soldier addressed Jesus as ‘Lord’ meaning the one who rules and has authority, though he himself was a Roman Officer who had authority and had hundred soldiers under his command.
While Jesus was here on earth, He led a simple life, and revealed Himself as one who taught people the eternal way of life. On the contrary, the man who came to Jesus was a Roman Officer who held a prominent place. In spite of his prominence, the man had perceived who Jesus truly was. This Roman soldier did not approach Jesus for his personal need, but came to Jesus on behalf of his servant who was under him which is noteworthy. Jesus was willing to go to the house of that Roman Officer to heal his servant.
Remember, that Jesus does not belong to any one group of people or nation. He is the son of God. Irrespective of what your background is, if you too can comprehend who Jesus really is, have the right kind of faith and pray, you will certainly see miracles and wonders in your lives.
Generally when someone gets a promotion, they look down on those who are under them. The reason I believe for the downfall of many is that they have forgotten where they came from. They have forgotten the way God intervened to raise them up. We must acknowledge that all of our advancements are from the hand of God. Often it is needful that we are reminded that we are made from dust, and to dust we will return. If we have this perspective we will stay humble and our education, position or possessions will not matter to us. All of it is nothing in the presence of God, and with this in mind we will be able to love and respect those who are below us.
The Roman Officer’s response
We read in Matthew 8:8-9, “But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. ”For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (ESV)
The centurion was not willing to have Jesus come to his house, but he had faith to believe that the word of Jesus was enough to heal his ailing servant.
Jesus’ astounding reply
We read the reply of Jesus in Matthew 8:10, “When Jesus heard this, he was surprised and said to the people following him, "I tell you, I have never found anyone in Israel with faith like this.” (GNB)
This appeal of the centurion was based on the faith that truly astonished Jesus who declared to those who followed after Him that He had never found such kind of faith in anyone even among the people of Israel. The centurion knew who Jesus was, and no wonder then that His petition to Jesus was firmly rooted in faith.
The reason for His not wanting Jesus to come to his house is detailed out in Matthew 8:9. As a man in authority, he himself had men under him who went out, and came in at his bidding. Therefore the Roman Officer realized that Jesus had authority over sicknesses, and over every other problem anyone faced. Hence he was convinced that just a word of Jesus was enough to accomplish the healing of his servant.
The question we must ask ourselves is, ‘Do we pray with faith in our hearts with the knowledge of who God really is?’
Jesus was so impressed by this response that He went on further to say in Matthew 8:11-12, “I assure you that many will come from the east and the west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of heaven. But those who should be in the Kingdom will be thrown out into the darkness, where they will cry and gnash their teeth."” (GNB)
Jesus was forthright to proclaim that people from various backgrounds, and from all over the world will be part of the Kingdom because of their faith. On the other hand, those who are supposed to be part of the Kingdom of God falter, and miss out on being part of God’s Kingdom because of their lack of faith.
The miracle that the Roman Officer received
We read in Matthew 8:13, “Then Jesus said to the officer, "Go home, and what you believe will be done for you." And the officer's servant was healed that very moment.” (GNB)
The centurion received the miracle that he wanted to receive and went home elated and blessed.
May we too ask God to help us have the right kind of faith, a faith that comprehends who God really is, the kind that the centurion had. We should also petition with faith in a way that is pleasing to God. God’s word teaches us that without faith it is impossible to please God, so let us analyze to see ourselves, and ask the Lord to build in us a faith that is totally pleasing to God.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by: Sis. Esther Collins
