Month: May 2025

Getting What You Didn’t Ask For


2 Chronicles 1:7-12 – “That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Tell me what I should give you.” 8 Solomon replied to God, “You demonstrated great loyalty to my father David and have made me king in his place. 9 Now, Lord God, may your promise to my father David be realized, for you have made me king over a great nation as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Now give me wisdom and discernment so I can effectively lead this nation. Otherwise no one is able to make judicial decisions for this great nation of yours.”  11 God said to Solomon, “Because you desire this, and did not ask for riches, wealth, and honor, or for vengeance on your enemies, and because you did not ask for long life, but requested wisdom and discernment so you can make judicial decisions for my people over whom I have made you king, 12 you are granted wisdom and discernment. Furthermore I am giving you riches, wealth, and honor surpassing that of any king before or after you.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, the Word ‘Servant’ kept echoing in my heart and mind.  2 Chronicles 1:7-12 provides an example of the heart God desires in leaders and all people.  God came to Solomon in a dream, saying, “Tell me what I should give you.”   How would we have responded?   Solomon asked for wisdom and discernment to enable him to lead the nation.


God responded, saying, “Because you desire this, and did not ask for riches, wealth, and honor, or for vengeance on your enemies, and because you did not ask for long life, but requested wisdom and discernment so that you can make judicial decisions for My people I’m giving it to you AND MORE… I’m giving you what you didn’t ask for.”

The heart of a servant opens the windows of heaven for the one truly serving.   It is the heart of Jesus!   In Philippians 2:1-11, this servant’s heart is exemplified and illustrated.  Loving one another in unity is the heart of God.   Philippians 2:4, Paul tells them to let the servant’s heart be their dominant character trait.   He then emphasized using Jesus as the example in verse 5.

Our attitude toward others should be the same as Jesus’s toward us and the Father.   He emptied Himself.  (How we need to learn that arduous task.)  He served.  He humbled Himself in obedience.  (We will all humble ourselves or be humbled.)  As a result of His obedience, Jesus was exalted to the place that at His name, every knee will bow and confess that He is LORD!

The one with a servant’s heart will experience the presence, power, and provision of Jesus in ways that surpass human expectations.

Luke 6:38 is applicable here.  It applies to every aspect of life.   Service is giving.   “Give, and it shall be given to you.”   IT, that wonderful and terrible little word, holds the key to life.   The IT that we give is the IT that we live and receive.   It is the seed of our harvest and the key to the heart.   True servants of God (Doulos) live to give and give to live.  Their giving is an expression of their living.  It is not a chore but a source of joy.  The advancement and supply of others bring joy to their hearts.

Lord, grant us the heart of a Doulos today.  Let us know the joy of serving!  Thank you!  I encourage you to follow your heart today and rejoice in its Victory Day!

Have a fantastic day, and trust God to give you more than you ask and more than you expect!

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No Shortcuts


1 Chronicles 13:7-10 – “They transported the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab; Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart, 8 while David and all Israel were energetically celebrating before God, singing and playing various stringed instruments, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets. 9 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to take hold of the ark, because the oxen stumbled. 10 The Lord was so furious with Uzzah, he killed him, because he reached out his hand and touched the ark. He died right there before God.”

I am fascinated by the account in 1 Chronicles 13-15.  They were attempting to move the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.  The Ark symbolizes God’s presence, person, and power.   David longed to bring the Ark to Jerusalem.   We long for God’s presence, person, and power to be evidenced in our midst (churches and lives).

A perplexing account troubled me until I saw a reality.  They began moving the Ark on a “new cart.”   We try new methods to obtain God’s presence.  They had all the visible external investments—music, exuberance, and participation.  Then the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah touched the Ark. (Human effort).  God struck him down.  David was angry and fearful.

As we see in 1 Chronicles 15, he realized that they had tried to bring the Ark back through human efforts, resulting in death.   They had not correctly honored God’s way!   They tried using new methods (new carts and oxen), but God’s way was on the shoulders of the Levites.

We cannot shortcut God’s way!  The way into God’s presence was slower (Levites carrying the Ark) than man’s modern method (new cart and oxen).  It required personal consecration and investment.

There is nothing wrong with utilizing modern technology and new methods.  Still, if we try to press into the presence of God without consecration and personal investment, we may move too quickly, and rather than being transformed in the process, we develop a superficial facade that looks like the genuine but does not transform.

Daily, personal consecration and investment in pursuing God’s presence will transform us.  There is no shortcut!

God inhabits the praises of His people.   There is no instant, effortless access to the presence of God.  Our passion for Him must be allowed to burn out the dross so that He has pure hearts to deposit His presence, person, and power.

God wants His Ark to occupy our hearts.   Trying to have God’s presence through human efforts is dangerous and can be deadly.  The pure in heart will see God.  Don’t gloss over the dross and suffer loss.   The pure will endure and live securely!

It’s time to bring the Ark of God’s presence back into our lives!  That requires total surrender!

May we never attempt to take a shortcut into God’s presence and purposes!

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