Ask, Seek, Knock

Scripture Passage: Mathew 7:7-12

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Hey Friend! How has your week been?  I have had a great week!  The other morning, I woke up with a horrible stomachache at 2 a.m. (I know sounds like a start to a great week, doesn’t it?! But…) I just prayed and within 30 minutes I was back to sleep not only feeling better but with a peace from God knowing that He was taking care of me.

Then my family and I baled hay and things went very smoothly, well, except for a glitch that caused us to stop working with only 25 bales of hay left in the field.  But it was an easy fix, and I was able to get the hay up the next day.  Thankfully it happened when we had dry weather the next day and made us aware of a situation so that we wouldn’t be caught off guard later in the season at a bad time.

Then, I have been wanting to get a cement mixer to mix up grain for my cows but have been putting off the added expense.  Well, as I was helping a friend move, they had a cement mixer that they didn’t need any more so they gave it to me for free!  What a blessing! I makes me remember with Gratitude the words of John 1:16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.

Now if I’m honest, when I was spiritually younger, and I sometimes still think this way, when I receive blessings like this, I tried to figure out what I have been doing that so pleased God that He was doing all this for me.  I mean if I figure those things out, then I can keep the blessings flowing right?!  But I’ve realized that turns my faith into a formula.  Do good Stuff = Get blessed by God.  But that is not Christianity. 

Christianity is about getting to know God as a loving Father through Jesus Christ, His one and only Son!  In Matthew 7:11 Jesus said, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Now there is a lot in this passage, there is a theme about asking, and a theme about doing unto others.

But what God really impressed upon my heart as he was pouring out blessings on me this week is that God’s character is that of a loving Father who desires to give good gifts to His children.  That’s what it is about isn’t it, the loving nature of God.  Otherwise, we end up with a religion that is all about us, all about us asking the right things in the right way, about us praying good enough, praying hard enough being good enough being nice enough.  And all those things can make it all about our effort instead of about the nature and character of God. 

So, the next time God pours out blessing in your life, just enjoy it and praise Him for loving you, because He does, He really really does!

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 Prayer: Heavenly Father, Help me to approach you with expectancy of your good character, knowing that you love me, without trying to earn your affection. And at the same time help me desire to live in such a way that brings a smile to your face and makes you proud of me.

Amen.

Point to Ponder: Do I live my faith as a religion based on formulas, or out of genuine relationship with God. Also do I judge the misfortune or blessing of others as evidence of their relationship with God or their actions earning what they deserve?

Verse to Memorize and Meditate on: Matthew 7:11 Jesus said, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

Application: Choose something today that you have been wanting, maybe that you have beeen trying to earn or achieve and simply ask God for it.

Leave a comment below to share what God spoke to you specifically in this passage.