AN OPEN CHEQUE

1 Kings 3:3-5

Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local places of worship.
The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings.
That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”

What will you do with an opportunity, an open cheque?

A great opportunity it is when the One who can do all things asks: "What do you want, Ask, and I will give it to you?"

This is a very rare opportunity, even in scriptures, we can count how many times this kind of opportunity has come from a human to another, and this is the only record when it has come from the Lord Almighty to a single person.

If the king, president or sovereign ruler of your nation asks you this type of question, what will you ask for? If the richest person alive asks you this type of question, what will you ask for?

Your imagination could run wide. You begin to think of all you have ever hoped to have, possess or enjoy. You think of all you have seen people enjoy but you cannot afford.

However, what then happens when the King of Glory, the God of all gods gives you this open cheque?

Let us look at what prompted this request or opportunity:

Some just talk about the fact that Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings, yes, but they miss the main point.

Listen,

1 Kings 3:3a
Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David,

The sacrifice came because of the love Solomon had for the Lord. It was not just the offering but the heart that gave the offering.

Remember the difference between the offering from Abel and that of Cain.

Remember what Christ said about bringing offerings:

Matthew 5:23-24
“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you,
leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

The state of your heart determines if your offering will be accepted or not, for your heart is the first offering.

Romans 12:1
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

Solomon's heart was with the Lord the way David's heart was with the Lord. He offered not to receive anything from the Lord but because He loved the Lord.

Listen believers, if you have been giving because one preacher or minister told you that you will get this or that, for fear of poverty or of hell or whatever. If you have been given so that you will receive, playing gambling or ponzi scheme with God, then you are merely wasting your time, scriptures is clear that you were never giving to God.

The motivation of your giving should be love, not that you want to get something back.

1 Corinthians 4:7
For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?

All you have is from the Lord and He didn't give it to you because you did something for Him. No, He gave you because He wants to and He loves You.

Listen, all that God created are blessed by default. Selah!

So, Solomon gave because he loved God.

He then had a lifetime opportunity that many never received during the times of the old testament. God gave him a blank cheque.

What did he ask for?

1 Kings 3:7,9-10
“Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around.
Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”
The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom.

Some may ask, how do I tell that my heart is with the Lord?

This is one example, your request(s) will show where your heart is. Selah

Solomon was concerned about the people the Lord had put under his care. He wanted to lead them aright he wanted to please God.

Child of God, what is/are your motives. Why are you asking God to bless you?

Listen:

James 4:2-3,5,8
You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.
And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him.
Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

Solomon's motives were pure, he was not selfishly thinking about himself, he wanted to see good leadership for his people, the people God gave him the privilege to lead.

Can we learn from this good example?

Can we begin to purify our heart and stop the shadow chasing.

Dear believer,

*where is your heart?

*what is/are your priority(s)?

* do you really love God?

*do you even love yourself?

What will you do with God's open cheque?

PRAYER
I Lord I love You and I desire to please You in all things, make me a channel through which You bless others. Delete all evil motives and lifestyle from me that I may serve You faultlessly. Glory to Your name Lord forevermore.

He calls us blessed.

Love
@the watcher.