God Overflows

You don't have because you don't ask. 

Have you ever heard that? We live in a world where it seems you have to not ask, but beg, for just about everything you can have. Beg for a good job. Beg for a raise. Beg for a decent car and for a loan to get a place to live. Beg for friends. Beg for forgiveness. We spend our lives having to ask, and beg, for everything because "there's no such thing as a free lunch." 

Of course, at the same time, we seem to resent those who do ask. Those who are always asking. Those who seem to expect the world to give things to them because they are always asking the world to do just that. 

It's no wonder, then, that we approach our relationship with God the same way. We ask and we beg and we end up asking and begging for every little thing because it seems like nothing just comes our way and right in the middle of what is our big, earnest, honest ask from God, we remember all the little things that we also kind of want, and we throw those in, too - because if we don't ask, God's not going to give. The world certainly doesn't. 

At the same time, we resent asking. We resent having to beg. And we think God resents our asking and begging. We think that God, much like the watching world and all the keyboard warriors, is sitting out there judging us and looking down on us for asking at all. 

But He's not. 

Our God is a good God. He is a gracious God. He is a loving God. He enjoys giving us things, giving us what our hearts want and little bonus gifts on top of that. He enjoys delighting us because He is, at heart, a God of delight (and not just His). 

Remember Solomon's most famous prayer (which was actually a dream)? God asked Solomon what he wanted, anything in all the world, and Solomon asked for wisdom. God then said, "Great! I will give you wisdom. I will also give you things you didn't ask for - like wealth, health, and a long life. This is so good. I am so happy to give these things to you." 

Solomon didn't have to ask for that other stuff; God was happy to give it to him. Solomon might have considered those things when God asked him what he wanted, but he didn't settle there, and he didn't even throw them in as side prayers, as "if You have extra." He didn't ask, and he certainly didn't beg.

And yet, God gave him all of it, beyond his wildest imagination and deepest longing. 

Because that's who our God is. 

He delights in giving us more than we asked for. He loves blessing us beyond what we think our measure is. He cherishes the chance to love us, without us having to beg or even ask. It's simply who He is. Who He has always been. Who He will always be.