Matthew 7:7-11

Matthew 7:7-11

Ask and it will be given to you all.  Seek and you all will find.  Knock and it will be opened to you all.  For everyone who asks receives and the one who seeks finds and to the one who knocks it will be opened.  For what human being is out of you all that his son will ask for bread and he will give a stone to him instead?  Or even if he will ask for a fish, will he give a snake to him?  Therefore, if you all – while being evil – have know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father – the one in heaven – give good things to the ones who ask Him?

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

There are three action verbs: Ask, seek, and Knock.  We all have a role to play if we want to dwell with God.  Yes, God desires to be found.  He will come to those who genuinely desire Him.  But He does not force Himself upon us.  He does not mandate relationship.  We need to do our part!  We need to ask to learn of Him.  We need to seek His truth out before we will find it.  We need to knock and let the Father know that we desire to come into His presence.

Who or what do you ask to learn about God?  What is it you are currently seeking from God?  Where are you knocking so that you might be drawn into God’s greater presence? 

Second Thought:

Although there are three action verbs, notice that the last of the verbs is followed by a response that is out of our control.  It will be opened to us.  We do not knock and then let ourselves in.  We knock and wait for God to respond.  We knock and God lets us in.  We knock and God draws us in.  Relationship with God is always give and take.  He came to us first.  He initiated the relationship.  Then we respond be asking, seeking, and knocking.  Then God responds by drawing us in again.  It is a pattern.  God acts, we respond, God responds, we respond, God responds, etc.  Relationship with God is call/response, give/take, and back/forth.

What does it look like for you to knock and then let yourself in?  Why is it important to remember that the proper action is to knock and let God open the door?  How does this thought help us understand the human desire to be in control and our difficulty waiting upon the Lord?

Third Thought:

The last sentence of this verse has always been a curiosity to me.  Imagine listening to a teacher that you are beginning to respect and he turns to you and says, “You all, who are evil …”  But here’s the thing.  Even Jesus Himself chastises a man who calls Him good, saying that nobody is good except the Father!  (See Mark 10:18)  We like to think of ourselves as good.  We like to think we are good people.  But the reality is that we are not.  God tells us the truth right here.  We are evil.  That doesn’t make us incapable of occasionally doing good things – things like giving to our children what they need.  But we are still inherently evil.  Our nature is corrupt.  We are selfish.  We are self-centered.  That is just who we are, and Jesus plainly says it here as He teaches.  I can’t heklp but wonder how many listeners He offended.

Are you offended by the truth that you are evil?  Why do you think human beings like to think that we are not evil?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 7:12-14