“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are 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!” (Matthew 7:7-11 ESV)
I want to temper (balance) that Scripture with these other two:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:5-8 ESV)
“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:1-4 ESV)
So, when we read the passage in Matthew 7 we must realize that Jesus is not talking about us asking for anything that we want and that he will give us whatever it is we desire. And then if we are paying close attention to his wording we will also notice that he is speaking of “good things,” as God defines “good.” I believe he is speaking of things of the Spirit, and not of things of the flesh, but either way they are things that will be for our good and not things that will be against God and his word.
And the “asking, seeking, and knocking” signify that we should ask with earnestness, diligence, and perseverance. And all three of these passages of Scripture combined together let us know that we must seek with a proper spirit, with humility, sincerity, and perseverance, and also in faith (not doubting) and with the right motives (not from selfish motives and desires). So, it isn’t that God is our “genie in the sky” there to grant our every request, for we should be seeking his will for our lives in our asking.
And when he said here that “if you then, who are evil..”, he was not saying that he answers all the prayers of people who are evil. I believe he was inferring that if we who are flesh, who live in flesh bodies, who are born with sin natures, are capable of giving good gifts to our children, then how much more will God the Father give “good gifts” to those who ask of him. And he also could have been meaning the gift of salvation from sin and eternal life with God which is given to us only by God-given faith in Jesus Christ.
Anyway, if we read this section of Matthew 7 in the context of Jesus’ whole discourse in Matthew 5-7, I believe we should get the correct meaning of Jesus’ words, that he is certainly not saying that he is going to give everyone who asks whatever we ask, whenever we ask. For beginning in Matthew 5 he taught that blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. And then he gave us all sorts of instructions in holy living in what to do and to not do.
And then let’s add on to this 2 Corinthians 12:7-9:
Paul speaking: “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Even to the righteous person God does not always give us everything we ask of him, even good things like healing or the salvation of loved ones. For I recall the words of Jesus when he knew he was going to the cross to die for our sins and he prayed to God the Father for that cup to pass from him, if it be possible. But then he said, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” So we have to accept that what we want, even good things, may not be within God’s divine will and purpose for our lives (see Matthew 26:39).
So, let’s go back and reexamine Jesus’ words in Matthew 7 in light of all of this. What is the one thing that Jesus will give to us if we seek him in truth and in sincerity of heart and mind? He will give us salvation from sin and eternal life with God. He will not refuse the repentant and the sorrowful sinner seeking forgiveness and deliverance from slavery to sin who sincerely desires for Jesus to now be his Lord (Owner-Master), and whose desire it is to obey the Lord and his commandments (New Covenant).
But this has to be more than an emotional desire to have our sins forgiven and to have the promise of heaven when we leave this earth. For faith in Jesus Christ is a marriage covenant with him as our husband and with us as his bride (male or female). It is a lifetime commitment to following him with our lives in obedience to his commands and in holy living and in following him wherever he leads us in doing whatever it is he has called us to do. But if sin is our practice, and not obedience, we will not inherit eternal life.
[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-24; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZv3jzOTE70
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