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Closer to God

by Amanda Beattie

Remember the story of Solomon in the Bible? God asked him what He could do for him. Anything Solomon wanted, he would get -- no limits, no questions asked. It was a great offer, with lots of possibilities, but Solomon gave the best answer, "Lord, give me wisdom to rule this people you have given me." God was so pleased with Solomon's answer that He gave him over and above what he asked for.

What Would You Ask of God?

I was at a conference once, and the speaker presented the congregation with a similar situation. "What is on your heart? What would you ask of God?"

Now, being the bright, intelligent person that I am, I made absolutely no connection between this question and the one God asked Solomon. My mind immediately jumped to what I had wanted most: to not have to leave town. My father had recently gotten a new job that would require us to move out of state -- WAY out of state. At the time of the conference, I was still upset about having to leave my church and my friends, and the anxiety gnawed at the back of my mind constantly. I knew in my heart that moving was God's will, but I still tried to fight the idea that it really was what He wanted us to do.

Since I suspected that God was leading us to move, I actually had the sense to not start whining to Him about it. But I didn't know how to answer the question, "What would you ask of God?" Since I thought I couldn't have what I really wanted, I didn't give any answer, and found myself actually getting depressed.

Seek After the Things of God

It wasn't until the next week that I realized what the question really was about and I was convicted about the answer I had given. I may not have actually said, "God, I want to stay here more than anything," but I felt it in my heart, and I knew God saw it. Talk about priority issues! Here I was, in the presence of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and all I could think about was having to move.

Should I have answered exactly like Solomon? No, not quite...after all, I don't have a kingdom or loyal subjects. But Solomon's answer was so wise because he was seeking after the things of God. Where he had asked for supernatural wisdom, I had asked for a temporary earthly satisfaction.

I remembered Jesus' teaching about storing our treasures in heaven, and suddenly understood it in a way I never had before. Asking God for something of His nature had never even occurred to me. When the speaker told us to consider what we would want to request from God, I was thinking of "stuff"...stuff that would only last this lifetime. I believe that God was thinking of something deeper, something truer --something eternal.

God is Your Priority

As I realized what I had done, I decided that there were more important things at stake than whether I would move or not. I prayed and asked God for something completely different than before. I told Him that if the question was still open, I at last knew what I really wanted. I wanted to know Him to the point where my stuff and my circumstances weren't the first things on my mind anymore. I wanted to be totally in love with Him so that the things of this world wouldn't mean so much to me.

Now, God wasn't mad at me for choosing badly. I don't even think He was disappointed -- He knew I would make the mistake before I even made it. But I do know that He was waiting for me to come to my senses and realize what truly mattered, because He has answered my prayer in more wonderful ways than I could have imagined.

It's easy to lose track of our priorities, and let something become more important to us than we ever intended for it to be. However, God should always be at the top of our list, no matter how good something else may seem.

If you set your sights first on the things of God, I can't guarantee that you'll get everything else you want, like Solomon did, but I can assure you that any extra "stuff" won't feel nearly as important. Nothing is as satisfying as getting closer to God.

Life Applications:

If God asked you what you wanted most from Him, what would your answer be?
Would your answer be the best choice?
What would be some good things to desire from Him?

Copyright 2003-2008 by Amanda Beattie
All rights reserved.