God Speaking

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

(Matthew 7: 7)

I am now an old lady and am constantly challenged by new technology. When I recently was reading this verse from Matthew, I realised that the young ones in my family would see these words in a different light. Often when I ask them a question they reply, “Nana just looks it up on Google”, or if I tell them I have lost my cell phone somewhere in the house and cannot find it they quickly get out their phones, call my number and of course I hear it ring and find it. Once it was in my pocket, much to their amusement. Knocking on doors has also changed to get into my apartment building you need the code to punch in the number. 

Jesus was teaching his disciples a far different message which is still applicable to us his followers. We need to ask the Lord for our deepest needs and often we carry our worries around with us and forget Jesus’s words telling us to ask him about them. There is a beautiful old hymn which highlights this and is called What a friend we have in Jesus. The compelling stanza says this. 

O what peace we often forfeit

O what needless pain we bear

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer

The word seek also hides a much deeper meaning and often when we are facing a dilemma we agonize over where can we find a trustworthy company or a faithful friend to share this anxiety. Jesus is telling us he is right beside us, why look any further take our anxiety to him. He also calms us by asking us to trust him and believe he can and will help. 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4: 6)

Knocking on the door is always symbolic as well, when we need company we go in confidence to a friend’s home, knowing that when  we  knock the friend will open the door and welcome us in We forget that Jesus loves us just being with him not always with a long list of wants, but just to tell him how much we love him and how we want to thank him for his love for us. He tells us he is our friend so that is why if we knock on his door, he will of course open it and welcome us into his presence. 

“You are my friends if you do what I command.” (John 15: 14)

Let us lovingly accept his beautiful invitations.