JUNE '24

 

"...ask and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you..." -Matthew 7:7

This sounds like a candy machine formula if I ever heard one.  Yet, I also know that God is not a vending machine.  So what in the world was Jesus saying?  The best way I know to answer that question is to let scripture interpret scripture.

If we look at the original words: ask, seek, knock.  The Amplified Bible provides a footnote about these verses which says this: 

1. Matthew 7:7 Here the use of Greek present imperatives (asking, seeking, knocking; vv 7, 8) emphasizes persistent, constant prayer.

Continue to ask

Continue to seek

Continue to knock

Do not grow weary in your praying.

I must confess (and may God forgive me if this is wrong to share on this platform), 

I am weary.

I don't know what to write to you because I'm struggling to find my next breath.  Life is hard.  It was hard for Jesus and His disciples and it is hard today.  It has been hard since we left Eden, and that isn't going to change until Jesus returns.

My local church has been in turmoil recently.  It is hard to watch.  It is painful to see how deeply it hurts people I love.  It is painful to have my own church trauma triggers hit so hard.

About 10 years ago, that church took a season to walk through the Psalms of Ascent.  They gave everyone a journal and we walked through those psalms in community.  One Sunday in particular burns in my mind.  It was the week the pastor was preaching from Psalm 123.

"To You I lift up my eyes, 

O you who are enthroned in the heavens! 

Behold as the eyes of servants 

look to the hand of their master, 

as the eyes of a maidservant 

to the hand of her mistress, 

so our eyes look to the Lord our God, 

till He has mercy upon us.  

Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, 

for we have had more than enough of contentment. 

Our soul has had more than enough 

of the scorn of those who are at east, 

of the contempt of the proud."

I distinctly remember sitting through the sermon and my heart barely beat inside me.  I was beyond weary, my heart was shattered, and I was listening to a sermon on the mercy of God.  The pastor spoke about how a proper plea to the Lord had both humility and boldness.  I sat there like an empty shell.  I didn't even have breath to breathe, how could I speak to God Almighty with boldness?

I feel a bit like that now.  How do I approach the throne of grace to ask, seek, and knock when my energy has been swept away like dust?

But God...

by God's sovereign grace, He had that preacher also read Psalm 3:3

"But You O Lord are a shield about me,

my glory, and the lifter of my head."

What do you do if you are weary of asking?  Weary of seeking?  Weary of knocking?

You whisper His name under your breath and in your heart, and He will be there.

He taught me that day in church that He is the lifter of our heads.  

Have you ever seen a child feel defeated?  Have you ever seen them hide their little faces because they can't bear to look at you?  Have you ever gotten on your knees and cupped that baby's face in your hands while raising it to meet your eyes of love?

That is what Jesus does for me and for you when we are weary.  If you are willing, He will cup your face in His hands and raise your tear stained eyes to meet His.  He loves you so much.  I think that's what I am going to take away from struggling with this verse and blog post all month long.  

Our circumstances may never change.  

The situation you are facing may be with you for the rest of your life.

But God will not change.  He will not leave.   Just because our circumstances stay the same, does not mean God is not listening to our prayers.  That's hard for me to stomach sometimes, but it's true.  Just look at Jesus and His prayers before the crucifixion.  

My prayer for all of us is that we let Him raise us up so that we can see Him, know that He loves us, and is not going anywhere.

*Afterthoughts:

I feel compelled to include this sermon.  It is not directly related to anything mentioned in this post.  He discusses mental illness, suicide, and Jesus.  If you're struggling, give it a listen.  He speaks the words of Jesus into some very dark spaces.  You are loved.  If you need help, reach out.