8.01.2005 | Matthew 7:7

This is one of those bits of the Gospel that one may hear in the public square; a familiar quotation, often divorced from He who said it. Jesus tells us,

7"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Well, that seems straightforward, doesn't it? Just ask. How could it be any simpler? And here's where the Christian gets that sceptical look from nonbelievers, sometimes followed by, "Hey, you hypocrite, you're living in a two-room flat on the wrong side of the tracks; surely you've asked God for a better home?"

For those of us regenerated in Christ (and, you may or may not know you've been regenerated...would that we could get a receipt from the Holy Spirit...), we know to ask only for that which we need. And, if we are very lucky, that is, having been chosen to receive His grace, we will actually receive from God that which is sufficient for our needs.

It's not about riches, or fame, or glory for us. It's about doing His will, and being rewarded accordingly. Not what we may think we want; certainly not what the world might think we want. Rather, what God knows that we actually need.

| technorati tag | Christianity|