Ask, Seek, Knock

Matthew 7:7-11 (ESV)

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 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!

Jesus told us this in Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Unfortunately, we tend to take this verse and make it something that it’s not. He gives us good gifts, of course; but what we think are ‘good gifts’ and what God knows are ‘good gifts’ are two different things! I’m sure you’ve wished for these things: “I want a brand new sports car!”, “I want to date that cute kid at school”, or “I want a million dollars!”. Please hear me out on this, it’s so important: GOD IS NOT A GENIE IN THE LAMP! He doesn’t just grant whatever you want, because not all the things you want are truly good.

But if you remain faithful to God and keep reading His Word, it’s going to change what you ask for. If you’re seeking God’s will, you’re going to ask for tools to further His kingdom. These are the types of good gifts God will equip you with!

Jesus lived a selfless life; not only did He come to earth to show us His love, but He also died for us so that we could be with Him in Heaven! Before asking God to bless us in different ways, be thankful that he’s already blessed us through Jesus! If Jesus lived a selfless life, then we should too. Today, ask God to bless you in ways that will serve others and glorify God in a mighty way!

Dear Lord, we pray that you help us be more like You. You were selfless, and only desired to further Your kingdom. We pray that the things we are asking for will help equip us to further Your kingdom. In the Name of Jesus,  Amen.

Don’t hold on to grudges, hold on to grace.

Matthew 5:38-48 (ESV)

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

How many grudges do we have that involve hatred? Jesus tells us in Matthew, “If you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” That doesn’t sound like a joke anymore.

How many of us have been hurt by a friend or loved one and we just can't let go of it? Holding on to this hurt or grudge does so much harm. Not really to the other person, most of the time they may not even realize you are upset. The problem is, it hurts you and your relationship with God. Sometimes we think we are “justified” to hold on to this hurt. Are you willing to let this grudge come between you and the forgiveness our Father in Heaven has for you?

Dear Lord, we know we have been hurt and have caused hurt. Please show us any hurt we have caused and help us let go of any grudges we are holding against others. Help us to seek forgiveness and to give forgiveness in return. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Are we stressed or blessed?

Matthew 6:34 (ESV)

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

I used to be a real worry wart. Everything could be going perfectly, but I would still find something to worry about. In school I worried about test, tryouts, projects, if people liked me. If you could name it, I could worry about it. I remember days when I would literally make myself sick because I was so overwhelmed by worrying. All of that stress I put on myself took a toll on my health and joy. If only I would have listened to Jesus better in Matthew 6:25-34, I would have had more joy in my school years.

Matthew 6:25-34 talks about worry and how useless it is. Jesus tells us to look at the birds of the air or the lilies of the fields. Neither of them worry about food, drink, or clothing. Why? Because the Heavenly Father takes care of them. Jesus adds, “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” It sounds like a silly question now, but when I was younger, I thought worrying gave me more control of my life. Instead, the worrying controlled my life.

As I have grown older and hopefully wiser, I have learned that worrying does me no good. It makes me focus on the negative of life, what I don’t have or wish for, instead of focusing on the blessings God has poured out on me. If God is willing to take care of flowers and birds, why am I worried that he will not take care of His creation He made in His own image? God created us and He knows us inside and out. He knows the desires of our hearts and all the needs we have.

So take a leap of faith and trust in your Heavenly Father. “If God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you.

Dear Lord, help us give our worries and stress to You. You created everything, You are all knowing and in control. It is not easy to give You control of this area of our life, but we know You will do a better job than we could possibly do. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

A look back at September 11, 2001

1 Corinthians 13:9-13 (ESV)

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Where were you when you heard America was under attack? Or when you first saw the footage of the planes flying into the twin towers?  My partner and I had just left our shop to head out for a day of service calls. My phone rang and my partner said he just heard a plane had just flown into one of the twin towers. We decided to meet at the local McDonalds and watch what was going on. As I arrived the second plane hit the second tower. Just like around America everyone at the McDonalds were shocked, confused, vulnerable, and eventually angry. No longer isolated to other parts of the world, terrorism brought itself to our front door. As a nation, we were changed. In the face of such an atrocious act of violence our cores beliefs are challenged in ways we perhaps never imagined.

Paul encourages us to hold fast to our faith. In the face of any tragedy, it’s easy to lose sight of God’s goodness. Surrounded by pain, suffering, and sin we can become discouraged and feel overwhelmed by the situation. But God’s goodness and grace abound even in darkness. And he is always in control, even when, especially when, everything else seems so out of control.

It’s because of God’s goodness that we ultimately have hope. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, God can heal and restore our joy because he is the giver of true peace. When we are able to embrace that, we rise above the chaos around us to see his face more clearly. In the same way, we have hope for the future when all will be made right and justice will prevail. There will be no more tears and no more pain.

And yet the greatest of these is love. There’s such freedom when we open our hearts to love those around us. Yes, we love on those who are hurting, those who are alone, and those who have loved us. But the true testimony of Jesus is to “love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be like your father in heaven” (Matt 5:44-45). If we withhold forgiveness and mercy, we allow bitterness and hatred to take root—the perfect end to Satan’s plan. Don’t let him win any battles. Love is the greatest trump card of all time.

Dear Lord we thank You that You are in control no matter the situation. Help us to always look to You knowing that You are holding us in the palm of You strong hands. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Are we looking for God or just looking godly?

Matthew 6:5-8 (ESV)

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

We all know a person who loves to be praised and in the spotlight. Someone who does the right thing only because there is a “reward” in the end. They may look great on the “outside” but once you get to know them they are nothing like you expected. On the other hand, you probably know some people who give up their time helping and serving others, never asking for anything in return. As Christians, we need to examine ourselves to see which type we are, are we serving wholeheartedly or for praise from others?

Jesus tells some parables in Matthew 6 about these two types of people. The first is about a man who is giving to the needy, that’s great right? Not the way he does it. He goes and announces it with trumpets and tells everyone what he has given to charity. Jesus tells us that man will lose his reward in heaven. The second is about another man, this time he is praying on the street corner, making sure everyone hears him. He hopes they say, “Look at him, he must truly be godly because he speaks so well”. What Jesus says is, “That is his only reward”, man’s praise.

Both men are doing good works, but let’s talk about how they’re being done. They are doing it not for God’s praise or to glorify His name, they are doing it for man’s praise, to make themselves look good. Jesus tells us, “No one can serve two masters”, we either serve God or ourselves, we can’t do both. Do your actions bring praise to the one who truly deserves it, or to make yourself look better? Are you doing something for God or to make yourself look godly?

Dear Lord, help us to examine our self with Your eyes. Help us to do good things to bring You glory, and not for our gain. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Keep your word, despite how slight. Love your enemies, despite their might.

Matthew 5:33-37 (ESV)

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

Isn’t it terrible when someone makes a commitment to you and then breaks it? Those who make a habit of that are completely untrustworthy. Relationships can be hurt or ended because of it. We can’t expect people to trust us when we don’t follow through with our word. We shouldn’t have to make promises or oaths for people to believe what we say.

In fact, Jesus tells us “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’, and your ‘No’ be ‘No’. We should be so trustworthy that when we make a commitment, big or small, others know we’ll follow through!

What about those you cannot trust at all; perhaps even an enemy; how should you respond to them? Jesus talked about that too! He commanded us ‘Love your enemies’. Even if we can’t trust certain people, or if they’ve done something wrong to us, we’re called to love them. Jesus even showed us this love when he was on the cross. He said in Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” He wasn’t talking about the disciples, he was talking about those who put him on the cross! So love your enemies in the same way. How can you be more trustworthy? How can you love your enemies more?

Dear Lord, help us to be the person who is true to our word, no matter how big or small the commitment is. Help us to love others unconditionally, no matter how much of a friend or enemy others are to me. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Hatred will destroy our relationships.

Matthew 5:21-26 (ESV)

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

If you have a brother or sister, you probably fought or fight with them in some way. I have two brothers, and when we were younger we fought at times. But in the end we were the best of friends. 

  

As funny as sibling rivalries can be, in life there are many people that we get so mad at we begin to hate them. Eventually, we could lose a friendship that should have never been lost. Jesus says in Matthew 5, ‘anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment’. In God’s eyes, it’s no different than murdering them! Hating someone is wishing them the worst. If you’re holding hatred towards another, you need to do everything you can to put a stop to it. Pray for your heart to change, pray for peace between you and them, and start working toward loving them once more. Even if they don’t change their ways, make a point to change yours. Who knows? One day, you might lead them to know Jesus (or keep a believer from falling away)!

Are you holding hatred toward another person? It happens all too often! If this is the case, think of that person and why you’re angry at them. Start praying for a change in your heart. Remember the 7th Beatitude: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God’. Make peace with your enemy; they should be your friend, one you can call brother or sister!

Dear Lord, help us to realize if we are holding anger toward anyone. If we are, help us to make peace with them. Help us to love unconditionally, as You do for us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.