What More Would You Ask For?

For this is what the LORD says:
“I will extend peace to her like a river,
and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream;
you will nurse and be carried on her arm
and dandled on her knees.

Isaiah 66:12

If you have peace, wealth, and family, aren’t these enough? What More Would You Ask For? Isn’t this more than enough? What more would you ask for?

Isaiah was the prophet of hope. God promises the restoration of Israel and the Israelites through the prophet Isaiah. In our text today, God promises three things that are all that one may need. What more would you ask for?

God promises to give Israel and Israelites peace that is as abundant and active as a river. Who doesn’t need peace? What can we do without peace? Aren’t wars fought to ensure there is peace? Isn’t peace the reason why we spend heavily on safety, security, arms, insurance, etc? What more would you ask for?

We need peace around the world. We need peace within regions, continents, and even countries. We need peace in our neighborhoods. Aren’t calm, peaceful neighborhoods the most expensive? We need peace at the workplace among colleagues. We need peace in school. We need peace within the family circle. Peace between parents and children. Peace between husband and wife. Peace between friends. Most critically we need peace with ourselves, lest we become desperate and suicidal. Without peace with ourselves, we can’t achieve much. Without peace with ourselves, we resign to fate and slide into mental distress. We need peace with ourselves. Above all else, we need peace with God. Peace with God is the unseen driving force behind hope, courage, and confidence. Without peace with God, we will falter. God promises peace like a river. What more would you ask for?

Secondly, God promises the wealth of nations like a flooding stream. God promises the things that other nations have. God promises the visible valuable things that others brag about. God promises material wealth that others pursue even at the risk of their lives. God promises to give them the wealth of the nations like a flooding stream.

Religion should not be an avenue for pursuing material things. When material things become the focus, then our religion becomes idolatry. On the other hand, religion should not be an avenue of encouraging poverty, mediocrity, beggar mentality, laziness, and a habit of waiting for free things or even hoping for a miracle devoid of hardworking. Faith in God does not imply waiting for free things that come without any work. Faith in God is expecting and believing that God will bless your hard work and multiply what you are producing. Faith without works is dead, James 2:17. If you have faith and are praying and fasting, but doing nothing about it, your faith is dead. You have no faith in God, you have a mental illness of hallucination.

God promises Israelites that when they are restored and are working in their business, see Isaiah 65:21-23 (build, plant and labor in various ways), God promises to give them a flood of material benefits. There is nothing wrong with having material things. We should have all the good material things and remain faithful to God. Matthew 6:33, seek first God’s kingdom and all these material things will be given to you. To those who seek God and work hard, God will provide a flood of all material things that the world thinks are a sign of achievement. You will have what others left God and church in order to pursue. You will have both your faith and material things. God will give it like a flood, which means that it will be more than enough. What more would you ask for?

The last part of our text tells us of nursing children and show of love and compassion and care in the family. This could be a reference to Israelites being nursed by the land. This could be a reference to God’s nursing of His people as a parent does to the children, particularly in the light of the next verse Isaiah 66:13. The analogy of family care points to God’s concern and expectation of happiness in families. This could be a reference to beautiful peaceful families. If God promises a beautiful happy family, in addition to flooding material needs and a river of peace, isn’t all that enough? The single need the happiness of having a life partner. The married need happiness within their families. God promises that family issues will not be our source of stress. What more would you ask for?

Dear God, grant it today, grant us peace, grant the material needs, and may our families be happiest. May the peace flow like a river, may the material needs flood our lives without causing us to lose focus on God, and may the families be the best experience of forgiveness and happiness, in Jesus’ name, Amen!