“Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Whoever seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door is opened. Who among you will give your children a stone when they ask for bread? Or give them a snake when they ask for fish? If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. (Matthew 7:7-11, CEB)
I have always had a love/hate relationship with this text.
Jesus clearly says here, “Ask, and you will receive.”
So when I ask for something and I don’t get it, what does that mean? Jesus just said ask and receive.
Also, Jesus said, “Search, and you will find.”
So when I look for something and don’t find it, what does that mean? He said search and find.
And again Jesus said, “Knock and it will be opened.”
So when I knock and it isn’t opened, what does that mean? He said knock, and it would be opened.
Other versions of this text say something to the effect, if it is in the will of God it will happen. I have heard it said there are three answers to pray, yes, no, and not yet/maybe…
This version just says ask and get, seek and find, knock and it will be opened. And I think we all know it really doesn’t work that way. God is not some cosmic vending machine giving us all our wishes. And sometimes maybe we get what we ask for, seek, or knock on but not in the way we thought we would so to us it didn’t happen. Maybe that is the real twist here. We always get it, just not to our expectations, which to us means it didn’t happen.
Know that the promise that God is always with you is true and you are never alone.
Sometimes though things don’t go our way or the way we imagined.
Live in love and know you are never alone.
Loving People. Loving God.
aSacredRebel 