You Want How Much?
In Iran, buying things, from a watermelon to a Persian carpet, meant you needed to bargain for the best price. . Can you imagine going into your local grocery store and bargaining for everything in your shopping cart. That was a daily occurrence at the stores in the bazaar. Over time I became quite good at it. One time I bought a set of donkey beads only to have the vendor chase me down in the bazaar and tell me I had to give them back because he was losing money on the deal. The only place left for negotiations here are purchases such as homes, cars, and yes yard sales. Who can pass up the opportunity to buy something marked one dollar for fifty cents. Monika walks away when I start negotiating the price of something.
Can we negotiate with God? People do it all the time. Maybe one time you even promised God if He did this, you would do that. If you give me a raise in pay or a new job, I will do this or that. If you let me win lots of money, I will give most of it to Gospel outreach.
God does not participate in bargaining. Don’t stop asking God for the joys of our heart but always beware of our motives. Are they self-serving or God honoring. No need to bargain, just ask. He needs nothing we can give Him!
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 NIV
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