relationships (Matthew 7:7-11) A Loving and Approachable Father

(Matthew 7:7-11)

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what person is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11 So if you, despite being 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!

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY

Here, Jesus uses a standard Jewish method of reasoning - arguing from the lesser to the greater.  If the lesser is true, how much more is the greater.  As well, Jesus uses an example that all people, from any status in life, can understand.  Bread and fish were very basic staples, that every household could afford.  And everyone can relate to the parent-child relationship!

Now for the application.  Jesus is telling us that if we ask, we will receive, seek and we will find, and knock and the door will be opened.  God is good, and He does answer all prayers.  It is to our benefit that we fully understand just how much God does care about us, though!  There are things we might ask for, and they might even be good things, but God knows that for us it might not be good!  So He might answer our prayer with a "Yes, but not right now," or it might be a "No, but I have something much better for you!"

A few things I do know:  Sin will impede our prayers, so it is beneficial to confess our sins as soon as we realize them.  As well, when we pray in God's will, our prayers will be answered with a definite "Yes"!  The question then becomes, what is God's will?  Well, we know that it is God's will to love our neighbor - so - as we ask God to help us love our neighbor - that prayer will be answered!  100%!!!  God wants us to ask Him for wisdom - so - as we ask God to give us His wisdom - that prayer will be answered!  But, as this is a personal relationship with our heavenly Father, we have to remember to go to Him, everyday, and ask!!!

(James 4:1-5)  What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is the source not your pleasures that wage war in your body’s parts? 2 You lust and do not have, so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures. 4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says to no purpose, “He jealously desires the Spirit whom He has made to dwell in us”?

And just a reminder from the last devotion, because it still applies so beautifully...

(John 15:12-17) “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17 This I command you, that you love one another.