A world-famous professional golfer was playing golf
in Saudi Arabia. Apparently, the King was so
impressed with this man's playing that he said to
him, "I'd like to give you a gift of
appreciation." Now, this renowned golfer
told the King that no gift was necessary - he just
appreciated the opportunity to play in his country.
But the King was insistent, not only that the golfer
receive a gift, but that he could name any gift he
wanted.
Well, after just a brief moment to think about it,
he just said, "A golf club." He
thought maybe the King would give him a golf club
that had some gold or maybe a jewel in it.
Well, a few days later, a representative of the King
came to the golfer's hotel room to present the
King's gift - an object that was only about a foot
long, carried inside a leather pouch.
Apparently, this was going to be a fairly small golf
club. Then the golfer opened the pouch - only
to discover inside a deed - a deed that made him the
owner of a golf club - as in the hundreds of acres
that made up the beautiful golf club he had been
given!
Now, this famous golfer had one observation to make
after this overwhelming response to his request. He
said, "In the presence of a great king, you do
not ask for small gifts!" How right
he is. Listen
to our word for today from the Word of God - it's
about the King who made all the other kings!
Jeremiah 33:2-3 - "This is what the Lord
says, He who made the earth, the Lord who formed it
and established it -the Lord is His name."
Those are our King's awesome credentials. Now,
based on who He is, God says, "Call to Me
and I will answer you and tell you great and
unsearchable things you do not know."
I'm reminded of a companion promise in the
New Testament.
Ephesians 3:20 identifies our Lord as "Him
who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask
or imagine, according to His power that is at work
within us." Now I hate to say it, but
in light of the kind of King we have and the kind of
promises He's made to us, most of our prayers are
pretty lame. We come into the Throne Room from
which the universe is governed with our little
"Dear God" ditties - "Dear God, thank
You for this day ... thank You for our many
blessings ... forgive us of our many sins ... help
us with our many problems ... and bless the
missionaries, whoever they may be. Amen."
Our praying is often just so predictable, so
routine - that's an insult to the God who's invited
us to come to Him for "no small gifts."
When's the last time you really believed God for
some things that are so big that only God could do
them? Or have you been praying you-sized
prayers, man-sized prayers, earth-sized prayers?
We're guilty of really underpraying and
undertrusting! When you pray, take a little
time to focus on the One whose awesome presence you
have just entered - the One who controls 100 billion
galaxies! Do you pray like that? Let
yourself be overwhelmed ... not by your problems, or
your questions, but by the size of your Lord!
Then pray in ways that are worthy of the great God
you're with! The
hymn writer had it right - "O what peace we
often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear - all
because we do not carry everything to God in
prayer." Remember, when you pray, you
are in the presence of the King of all kings - don't
ask for small gifts!
