More Than We Ask For

Jesus wants to give us more than we ask for.

I’m pretty sure I have heard someone else talk about this before? I don’t remember exactly, but it seems like the sort of thing everyone who loves Jesus tells you.

Jesus offers us so much love. God himself IS Love. So why wouldn’t God want the greatest love for us? We tend to have a narrow focus of our wants and needs — and when we want or need something we think “If I could just get that thing then I will be all set or happy or content or at least not how I am right now”.

I was listening to some reflection on WAOB and it wasn’t about this topic. But I got distracted in my head after the Bible verse was mentioned of the healing of the cripple at the beautiful gate.

The cripple at the gate was seeking money (Acts 3) . Peter and John don’t offer him money, but thru Jesus’ healing power, love, and mercy they offer him love, healing, and mercy. The cripple is healed. The cripple thinks money is all he needs — he is misfocused. The cripple seeks something tangible, of this world, temporal — he is misfocused. JESUS OFFERS LIFE. The cripple is healed and sure the physical healing is tangible, of this world, temporal — but deeper down he is given something that is right-focused and the stuff of eternal life. He is give more than he asks for.

Just like the woman at the well (John 4). The woman is there for water. Jesus explains that He can provide “living water” where she will never thirst again. Immediately this woman wants that water. “Give me this water so that I may not be thirsty of have to keep coming here to draw water.” She is thinking temporally – she is misfocused. She wants something tangible – she is misfocused. She is thinking of her body; Jesus is thinking of her soul. JESUS OFFERS LIFE.

What other places does Scripture shout at us this very clear message? [Go find some examples!]

We want something with our blinders on. Jesus wants to give us something even greater. Jesus wants to remove our blinders and give us the greatest love. We want something “simple” (no matter what that is) and Jesus always wants to give us more.

We can get so caught up in the day-to-day of life or focus on ourselves or simply focus on the wants, needs, and things of our temporal body and temporal lives that we can lose focus on the eternal, the spiritual, the true proper focus we should have. Jesus gently reminds us to re-focus. Where should we focus? Jesus points the way. Jesus brings it all into focus. Follow Jesus and you will be given more than you ever hoped for.