Saturday, May 17, 2008

More than you could ask for...

Then God said to him: "Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days." 1Kings 3:11-13

The Lord ALWAYS blesses us with more than we need, more than we ask for, more than we can dare to imagine. WOW, that's pretty awesome when you stop and think about it. When I read the above scripture it stirs my heart. After the Lord came to Solomon, He commanded Solomon to ask him for something. Solomon asked for wisdom. The Lord not only gave him wisdom but gave him far more than Solomon had even asked for. God blessed him with wisdom and with riches...and with honor.

He blessed him with an over abundance. Friends, this is the God we serve.

The God who loves us, loves us with a love that is immeasurable. Solomon may be the example used in the Bible, but he is not the exception. He loves each one of use the very same way.

I had to stop and think about how in my own life I have asked for one thing and received in ten fold His blessings. There are quite a few things that come to my mind but at the top of the list would have to be the salvation of my mother. I was saved myself only a year before my mother died of cancer. With my spiritual eyes now open I knew without a doubt that I would have eternal life with my Heavenly Father. My blessed joy soon turned to heartache. After spending more and more time with my mother I realized that she did not have this same hope and confidence in her own impending death. For many months before she died I prayed with all my heart that she would be saved, that she would know the Lord before she died. it was my hearts cry day and night. I couldn't bear to think of not seeing her again. She was my best friend. The Lord fulfilled my prayer on a gentle spring day in March. She accepted Jesus into her heart, silently mouthing the prayer that she asked me to speak softly into her ear and died six weeks later.

On the day of my mother's viewing it would be the first time I would see her in the delicate pink coffin my father had picked out. I had dreaded this day. “Lord please help me get through this.” was my continual prayer. Hours prior to my mother’s viewing my husband and I had made a last minute decision to attend our own church’s annual anniversary celebration. It is a very festive event anxiously anticipated by our fellowship and held at our local fairgrounds. After dropping off our children at their Sunday school classes, my husband Paul and I needed to sit and be washed in His word, worship our Lord together and feel the fellowship of other believers before facing the rest of our day. Both Paul and I looked very out of place dressed in traditional black from head to toe. We would be leaving straight from this celebration for the mortuary afterwards. It was during this church service that our Lord spiritually fed us to a fullness to prepare us for the days’ events to come.

The pastor asked the bulging assembly in joyful attendance if anyone would like to make today the day that they publicly gave their heart to the Lord. Amongst the crowd of onlookers my husband Paul stood up. With the elation of my own mother receiving Jesus only weeks before her death, I felt like my heart would burst with the added joy of seeing my husband commit his heart and life to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In all honesty, I don’t recall the same passionate prayers for my husbands’ salvation that I had had for my mother. With her impending death it was her eternal life that consumed my daily prayers, not my husbands’. It was a true 'joy of the Lord' experience for me that day walking into the funeral home, grinning from ear to ear. Black couldn’t have been a more inappropriate color to wear for us. Not only was my mother in Heaven but I knew that the Lord had blessed me with a godly husband who would now share with me my hearts desire to live our lives for Jesus.

God gave me more than I knew to even ask for.

"And I have also given you what you have not asked." 1kings 3:13


Where in your lives has the Lord blessed you with what you have not asked for? Where has He given you even more than you dared to imagine?

Praise Him for these things today!



10 comments:

Amy said...

Thanks for your inspiring story, Joanne. Hope you have a great day.

Cherdecor said...

I LOVED this story! This gives me something to think about today.
Have a blessed Lord's Day!

Jonatha said...

That is my prayer for my mom as well. Daily I see the Lord working on her heart, and I just pray that we can share our faith one day very soon! Thanks for sharing - it greatly encouraged me!

Cheri said...

Wow- whata huge blessing. God is good- all the time!

Paula V said...

Joanne,
This is an ever-so beautiful testimony of our Father's undying love for us. I know the Lord truly rejoices in blesses us. It cheers His heart to bring blessings and joy upon His children. I am rejoicing with you. The blessings of the Lord are truly unending. I believe He blessed your faithfulness in praying for your mother. I too fear for my unsaved family. It's not so much that I'm fearful of not seeing them in Heaven because I don't believe we will "know" them but rather it is the pain of knowing the alternative. I can't fanthom my worst enemy suffering through the torture of Hell let alone those I love dearly.
Sorry - I sidetracked.

Your post reminds me SO much of Eph. 3:20...Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. That verse was included in my wedding to my dear husband. He provided more than we could ever imagine for us in each other as partners. However, my husband has lost that vision and been gravely deceived by Satan when he left last June and divorced me in Nov.

I am claiming this verse from my Father who divinely joined my husband and I for Him to restore us and give us more than we could ever imagine in a glorious reconciliation and thus a testimony for God's glory. I believe Him to not only restore our marriage but that He will provide a glorious ministry to help others in dire need of healing upon the sacred relationship of their marriage. The marriage relationship is copied after Jesus' relationship with the churc.
Pray for my Christian husband who does have the Spirit dwelling within in...pray the Lord will speak to him and will remove his hard heart, stubbornness, selfishness, and rebellion against what he knows deep in his heart to be true. May the bonds of Satan's work be broken. He does attend church, love the Lord, and believes he is right with the Lord.

Thank you for the reminder that when all have given up on my love that I am to never give up on my Lord and that He WILL provide more than I could ever see possible in the midst of this terrible heartache. He's already blessed me spiritually in ways He could never do with me crutching to my husband.

Standing in Him,
Paula

Chelle' said...

Loved it Joanne. Loved it.

I knew about your mom accepting the Lord shortly before her passing but didn't know the story of Paul throughout that time.

Thanks so much for sharing it. I am encouraged!!

Sheryl said...

Tears are streaming down my face once again! I have GOT to get this under control - ha.

What an amazing story! I cannot imagine what your heart must have done when your husband stood to his feet.

God does give more than we ask. Sometimes we're looking for a different answer and miss the blesssings he's bestowing.

I pray for my eyes to be opened and to be praying for what God wants. Thank you so much for sharing this story.

Sheryl

Terri said...

What a joy for you to be able to lead your mother to know Jesus personally. That's the only thing that can get you through those tough times. Today marks the day that my mom passed away - 5 years ago. I look forward to seeing her in heaven again, someday as well!

Fran said...

So, so beautiful Joanne!! I know that HE gives me passion and strength every single day when I have gone to bed the night before worn out and exhausted. His mercy is new every morning!!

I just love Him with ya and celebrate Him too!

Hugs~
Fran

elizabeth embracing life said...

I just blogged in a very simple way of the moments in how God blesses. I loved your heart and sharing.

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