Ask, Seek, Knock

This morning I came to my devotions and there seemed to be high wall between God and I. I couldn't seem to find out why this was the case.  Before I had my devotions this morning, I had a quick prayer, asking for God to show me Jesus, and His love, and to keep me from distractions, and then proceeded to open the Bible and read.  The story this morning was from John Chapter 9.  Now, I had read this story so many times, and so I thought that I had exhausted everything from it.  Still, there was a thought that showed up to me as I read, and that was the fact that the man was blind.  I knew I was blind and needed Jesus, but didn't know what God wanted me to do as a result of the story I was reading.  Discouragement set in, and I then went to Calvary.  I read the story of the crucifixion in Matthew 27, and the Resurrection in Matthew 28.  At the end of my reading a verse jumped out at me, and it was the response of the angel to the women who had come to the tomb to see Jesus in verse 5
" 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has been raised, just as he said. Come and see the place where he was lying."

As I read this verse a realization hit me!  I was not reading the Bible to find Jesus simply in the Bible, but I was reading the Bible to find Jesus in my own life, in the reality I was living in that very moment!  As the song says, I began to realize that: "I serve a Risen Savior, He's in the world today!  I know that He IS living whatever men may say!"

At that next moment, another verse came to my mind:

Matthew 7: 7,8

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

As I read this statement, my question was answered.  When I come to the Word of God to get a blessing, and then don't follow through with the conditions that Jesus laid out, it's little wonder that I don't find that God is speaking to me.
So often I find myself only wanting God to do the talking as I read, and me to just listen.  I want to sit at His feet like someone would sit at the feet of a wise sage!  But the truth is, that Jesus is not calling us to Himself to simply impart wisdom to us, He is calling us to be in relationship with Him!  He doesn't want to simply give us a set of instructions.  He wants to give us Himself, and in return, he wants us!

I like how Ellen G. White Puts it in Steps to Christ:

"By faith you became Christ's, and by faith you are to grow up in Him--by giving and taking. You are to give all,--your heart, your will, your service,--give yourself to Him to obey all His requirements; and you must take all,--Christ, the fullness of all blessing, to abide in your heart, to be your strength, your righteousness, your everlasting helper,--to give you power to obey"

There are three steps to Mathew 7:7 that jumped out at me!

1. Ask
2. Seek
3. Knock

In step one it is important to be honest with God about what is going on in our lives, so that we are prepared for step 2, which is seeking Him in His Word, in seeking Him in His Word, we may and probably will end up asking more, and seeking more.  Finally at the end of devotions, we are able to knock, by following through with Jesus instructions.

When however I try and "do", or want to "know" the "Will of God" without asking or seeking or knocking, I'm going to find myself discouraged every single time!


So let us, ask Seek and Knock!