May the doors of goodness, grace, and redemption open unto you as you ask, seek, and knock with your Father in heaven. He loves you as his child, specially created and containing his life breath. You are made in his image and he will care for you always…
7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
Matthew 7:7-11 NLT
Recall that a little before this in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus encouraged the people to seek God instead of worrying about food, clothing, and shelter. If they pursued the Lord and his kingdom, God would provide for them. This teaching on prayer brings us back to a similar lesson on the character and ways of God.
In his earlier words, Jesus asked are the people not more valuable to God than the flowers of the field or the birds of the air? Of course we are. As much as all creation is valuable, only humans were created in the image of God and contain the life-breath of God (Genesis 2:7). God cares deeply for the people he made in his image and who breathe his breath.
Parents don’t give their children snakes instead of fish and stones instead of bread. They are their flesh and blood. They care for them intently, making sure they have what they need to thrive. So it is with God, and even more. He will make sure that gives us what we need to thrive.
But he wants us to ask, seek, and knock. He wants us to come to him and pray in purposeful reliance. The posture of trust and faith is important to our spiritual growth and to maintain the right relationship with our Father in heaven.
If we ask, seek, and knock, we will receive, find, and have doors opened to us – but not every door and not every gift. This isn’t a carte blanche. I remember in elementary school there were kids in my class who spoke of late night television like Saturday Night Live and similar shows. There was no time-shifting features for cable consumers at that time. Their parents were letting them stay up that late. I couldn’t imagine that. I might also add that it was not only late night TV they were exposed to. It wasn’t good for them.
God will not open doors to things which are not helpful to our development as people and followers of Jesus. We can expect his answers and opportunities to be consistent with his purpose and character. We can expect goodness, grace, and redemption. So ask. Seek. Knock. May the doors of redemption open unto you…
Amen.
Marc Kinna
marckinna 