You Can't Ask Too Much of God
Do you ever wonder if you’ve asked too much of God? For too many things? For too big a miracle? For too much too often? I know I do. Though I try to incorporate praise, worship, and supplication for others into my daily prayer time, I never seem to run out of requests for myself and my household. Prayers for guidance, strength, finances, and more. Requests that things would work out in this situation or that. Pleading for deliverance from a current trial or for God to give me the grace to wait on His timing.
With my many requests tumbling from my lips, I often stop and think, Have I gone too far? At what point will God throw up His hands and say, “Enough, Dana! You’ve asked for too much!”? But during those times, I think of Gideon. I’m sure you’re familiar with his story, but in case you’ve never noticed, I want to share with you how Gideon tested the limits of God’s grace and sufficiency.
“And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me. Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again. ”
When the Lord first called Gideon into service, Gideon couldn’t believe his ears. God came to him as he was hiding from the enemy, and now God wanted him to lead his people into freedom from the Midianites. At first, Gideon offered excuses for why he wasn’t the best candidate for the job, but when God didn’t buy the excuses, Gideon tried another tactic. Shew me a sign. Gideon reasoned if God were serious, it wouldn’t be too much to prove it. So, Gideon ran off and prepared a meal which he presented to the Lord. The Lord promptly burned up the offering and then disappeared, leaving Gideon to declare, “Alas, O Lord God, for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face.”
At that point, God gave Gideon a task to perform. He was to destroy the altar of Baal and the grove set up by his father. It was risky, but Gideon did it. Still, his doubting days weren’t over. The next thing we know, Gideon was facing the prospect of delivering Israel from the enemy, and his faith wavered. So, he asked for more proof that God was serious.
“And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. ”
Once again, God catered to Gideon’s request. In the morning, the fleece was wet, and the surrounding ground was dry, just as Gideon had specified. But Gideon still wasn’t convinced (which I totally get!). So, he dared to ask for one more thing.
“And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. ”
I can hear the fear and trembling in Gideon’s voice as he begged, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me. I know you’ve given me two signs, but if you could prove Yourself to me one more time, then I’ll know I can trust You, and I can go forward.” Oh, how I love this about Gideon! He was respectful but honest. Though he desired to trust God fully, he had to admit he wasn’t quite there yet. And God, in His great mercy, gave Gideon another sign—the dry fleece.
If the story ended there, we would have enough evidence to assure us we can’t ask too much of God. Even when He’s done enough, He loves us enough to give us more to help us grow in our knowledge and faith in Him. But there’s more to the story, and it’s my favorite part.
Fast forward to Judges 7. God had taken Gideon’s army and whittled it down to a mere 300 men. Knowing they were facing an army of 135,000 well-trained soldiers, Gideon was likely terrified and once again doubting the will of God here. How could it be possible for such a small band of men to defeat a mighty army? And who was he to lead them? He was a farmer, not a soldier. Yes, I have no doubt the fear and anxiety rolled over him, but Gideon dared not ask for another favor from God. After all, the last time he did, he said it would be the last time. No, he wouldn’t ask God to prove Himself again. So, he did the next best thing. He spied out the enemy.
“And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude. ”
Wonderful! The Midianites had joined forces with the Amalekites and all the children of the east, and they stretched out across the valley like sand on the seashore. Not exactly the boost of confidence Gideon needed, was it? But God was watching out for Gideon and was about to give the timid leader something he didn’t even ask for—assurance.
“And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host. And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian. ”
I love that! God knew Gideon was afraid. He knew the poor fellow was beginning to have doubts but was too scared to ask for another favor. So, God gave him what he needed without Gideon even having to ask. Why? Because that’s just the way God is. He loves to give to His children. Exceeding, abundantly above all we could ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20)
So, does God tire of hearing our requests? No, I don’t think so. Now, I will say He probably grows weary if we only come to Him when we want or need something, but otherwise, I think He loves to hear from us. It gives Him a chance to prove His love and care for us. It also offers him an opportunity to show His willingness to go beyond what we could ask or think by giving us what we need when we need it whether we’ve asked for it or not.
Can you ask too much of God? Nope! When we come to Him with genuine love and a sincere desire, He can’t help but shower us with blessings. It’s just His nature. It’s Who He is!
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