SCRIPTURE: Matthew 7: 7-11
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one, of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?
OBSERVATION:
I love this passage. Part of what is famously known as Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, His “manifesto” so to speak of how His followers ought to live… what life in the Kingdom of God is supposed to look like… is this passage on how believers can count on their requests to God being answered. Now, I don’t know about you, but to me – that’s a big deal! It’s a passage that ought to give every Christ follower the confidence to approach their heavenly Father in prayer. It really is something special!
First, Jesus says, ”Be PROACTIVE” in going to Your Father in prayer. Remember in grade school, when we learned the parts of speech in English class? Remember the “understood YOU”? Jesus says, “[YOU] ask…” You go to the Father. You don’t have to wait for Him to come to you; take the initiative and YOU GO!” Then Jesus says, “Be PERSISTENT.” The Greek form of the word “ask” means to “keep on asking.” Don’t stop asking because God hasn’t answered yet. Keep on asking. Jesus goes on to say, “Seek… and knock…” In other words, “If asking didn’t get an answer, ratch it up a notch and SEEK.” Of course, God doesn’t need to be found, but Jesus is using a metaphor to prove a point. “Go search out the Father and keep on asking! And if you still haven’t got an answer, knock on the Father’s door like you’ve lost your mind.” Okay… that’s my interpretation. But I think I’m on point here. There’s a story that Jesus tells in Luke 18 about a widow that is in search of justice and so she keeps going after this evil judge in order to get her case heardand rectified. For a while, the judge refuses this lady, but she keeps on knocking, – like my mother used to say when we were little – as if “she’s lost her ever lovin’ mind!” So, she knocks and she knocks and she knocks and… finally, the judge is like, “Lady! OMG!! Okay!! I will answer your request – not because I fear either God or man – but because you’re gonna wear me out with your incessant knocking!” Then Jesus says something MAJOR. He doesn’t make the point of the story the widow… He says, “HEAR WHAT THE UNRIGHTEOUS JUDGE SAYS!” Wow!!! Jesus says if this clown can get the point, how much more will our heavenly Father RUSH to the aid of His children who cry out to Him!! BE PERSISTENT!
But that isn’t even the best part… the best part is not just knowing that He encourages us to come to Him, but that when we ask, we WILL receive! When we seek, we WILL find! When we knock, He WILL open the door! That just blows my mind that I serve a God who loves me enough to let me know that no matter what, He will answer!
APPLICATION:
This is so convicting for me… because I really have sometimes a tendency to get discouraged when things aren’t going my way. But that’s the beauty of being able to go to God in prayer. GOD ENCOURAGES US TO NOT GIVE UP! The Giver encourages us to ask for His gifts! The whole point of the story in Luke 18 was Jesus’ teaching His disciples that “they ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Lk. 18:1. What a good, good Father! I want to live this way… to trust God enough to never give up on Him and know that He wants me to keep on coming, keep on coming… even when I feel like all hell has broken loose and heaven is silent. He wants me to know that I can always depend on Him. I can have the confidence that when I pray, God both hears me, and He will answer me. HALLELUJAH!
PRAYER:
Father, in a sense, this seems kind of crazy. But I guess that’s it, huh? You really love us with a crazy love… a love that dotes on us… a love that wants us to have the confidence that we can depend on you, know matter what. What a loving Father you are. Thank You for Your exceeding precious promises to us… that You will never leave us nor forsake us, that You always hear and answer our requests… and You give us our hearts desire when we delight ourselves in You. Yet, help us to always look to Your face, and not just to Your hand… to our Giver and not just to His gifts. May I always ask and seek and knock… and never lose heart in my bringing my requests to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen!!
The Plum Line 