That night God appeared to Solomon and said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you! [2 Chronicles 1:7 (NLT)]
No one is really happy merely because he has what he wants, but only if he wants things he ought to want. [St. Augustine]
In the many television tributes to the recently deceased actor Gene Wilder, a scene from the movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory frequently has been aired. In it, Willy tells Charlie not to forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he wanted. When the boy asks what that was, Wonka replies, “He lived happily ever after!”
While that exchange made for a nice ending to a children’s film, getting everything we want is hardly the way to guarantee living happily ever after—unless, of course, we only want the right things! Yet, even wanting the right things is no guarantee of happiness. Look at Solomon; when God asked what he wanted, the young king requested the right thing—wisdom. God rewarded him not just with wisdom but also with riches, possessions, honor and fame. Here was a king who truly got all that he wanted plus more. Surely, with everything that Solomon received, he should have lived happily ever after.
Nevertheless, all the wisdom and wealth in the world could not give meaning to Solomon’s life. Although gifted with wisdom, he failed to use it when he broke God’s rules for kings by amassing horses, collecting a harem of 1000, accumulating riches by excessive taxation, sealing alliances by marrying foreign women and worshiping pagan gods. Although he got everything he wanted, Solomon did not find happiness. His words in Ecclesiastes show us how disillusioned, bitter and disappointed this wealthy sage was when he realized how empty his life had been without God at its center.
Getting what we want will only lead to a happily ever after if we want what God wants for us and if we use His blessings with a wisdom far greater than Solomon’s. Let us never forget that God’s answers to our prayers often are not what we think will make us happy. They are, however, always what we need. Moreover, God has already given us all that we need for our happily ever after: His beloved Son, forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life.
God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing. [C.S. Lewis]
Warm summer nights at the lake mean campfires, s’mores and fireflies. As the darkness descends, bug jars appear and the children start chasing these fascinating insects. How odd that the same child who will shirk away from any insect during the day will give chase to and capture these flashing winged beetles at night. By the end of the evening, the children have collected a jarful of tiny flying stars (that will be released as soon as the little ones are tucked into bed).
“Be mindful to be a blessing…” After reading Paul’s words as translated in the Classic Amplified Bible, I thought of a comic I recently saw in the newspaper. (Oddly, I get lots of inspiration from the comics and I’m not sure what that says about my intellect.) Nevertheless, in “Nancy,” written by Guy Gilchrist, it’s Nancy who is reading the comics page. The speech balloon says, “Today’s Motivation: Let your presence be a gift to all you meet!” The next panel shows her walking down the street. Instead of her typical hair ribbon, she is wearing an enormous bow and a gift tag that says, “To you!”
Writing about my granddaughter yesterday made me think about birth defects. In actuality, all of us have what could be called birth defects—it’s just that some are more obvious than others. While all of God’s children have defects, none are defective. I consider a young man at our Florida church. Cerebral palsy keeps him strapped into a wheel chair and his physical limitations are immense. There is, however, nothing defective about this bright young man. I ponder the enthusiastic grocery worker with Down’s syndrome. She may have an extra chromosome, but there is nothing defective about her. I think of a fellow at church who has no ears. He may be deaf but there is nothing defective about him, nor is there anything defective about a friend’s grand born with only a partial arm and hand or my grand, with her heart defects and learning issues. They are all marvelously made—different from others, but no less wonderful.
Devotions of the Heart 