Ask, Seek, Knock

Good Morning! 

One of the challenges of the nursing home ministry is obvious … the health of the long-term residents will ultimately deteriorate … and they will die.  One of my favorite residents, I won’t use a name because of privacy issues, is in that process now.  This sweet lady came faithfully to our semi-monthly services … always immaculately dressed … always encouraging us.  Her favorite song is “Prayer Is the Key to Heaven”.  She would say “Jimmy, sing the prayer song” … and I would happily comply … going to the best tenor I could handle.  I looked in on her yesterday … she was sleeping.  A couple of my co-workers had gone to have prayer with her earlier … I am so blessed with good people whose ministry of mercy is evident.  As the song goes … “soon I will hear the call from heaven’s portals … come home, my child, it’s the last mile you must trod. I’ll fall asleep and wake in God’s new heaven … sheltered safe within the arms of God.”  

Our preacher set forth a challenge to his congregation Sunday.  You will remember from yesterday’s post, the key to being blessed is to immerse oneself in the Word of God … to study it and meditate on it.  His challenge was that we read a chapter a day from the four gospels each day in 2020.  So, this morning, I am reading Matthew 7 … and my focus turned to these words …

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!

How often have you asked … or sought … or knocked? Do you really believe that God can and will give what you ask when it is in your best interest?  Sometimes, in our impatience, we ask and don’t receive right away … and stop asking.  Sometimes we seek … but don’t find what we want right away … and stop seeking.  My point is this … God – who is our heavenly Father – gives answers … and sometimes the answer is “no” or “wait”.  Doing so is how a good father responds.  

As we begin our day today, let’s seek the face of God, asking Him for what we need, expecting Him to answer by opening doors for us.  Be aware … see how He might respond.  And rejoice in His answer … whatever it might be.

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer:  Father, I admit that I don’t really know what I need. You do. And I know that You will provide for my every need. Teach me to ask for the things that You want in my life … those things that will honor You and lift Christ Jesus high. Teach me to be ready to wait for Your response. And teach me to rejoice in whatever the answer may be. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for today:  Matthew 7:7-11