Ask, Seek, Knock

Matthew 7:7-8

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

The past couple of weeks I have been writing about our plans verses the Lord’s plan for us.  We started with having a plan and then having our steps directed by the Lord, then we talked about how the Lord’s purpose would prevail.

This week I want to focus on Matthew 7:7-8.  We are told to ask, seek and knock.  In our lives, we will make plans, there is nothing wrong with that.  As long as we are allowing the Lord to direct our steps and prevail in our lives, we should confidently go to him, asking for whatever it may be, seeking his guidance and then knocking and waiting for a door to be open. 

Does that mean you will always get what you want?  Of course not.  In prior weeks we learned that sometimes our plan isn’t exactly how the Lord has it planned for us and he will redirect our steps.  What we ask for may end up changing before the door is opened. 

This week I encourage you to take your requests before him.  Ask him to guide your steps and the plan that you are seeking.  Then look for the door that he opens for you!

Thurs Devo: Where to Hide?

Have you ever played Hide and Seek with small children? Often they hide in very visible and easy to find places! Just the other weekend, two small foster kids (ones we’ve been keeping some weekends) sat next to each other and “hid” on the other side of our large living room chair. Since they couldn’t see me, they assumed I couldn’t see them!

Similarly, we can’t hide from God. Just because we can’t “see” Him doesn’t mean He can’t see us. He sees everything. At the end of time, when He releases His wrath, all kinds of people will try to hide from His wrath.

Revelation 6:12-17    ¹² I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,¹³ and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. ¹⁶ They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! ¹⁷ For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”

No one can hide or escape from God. Death will not give relief to those experiencing God’s wrath. In fact, eternal death will be far worse. If those running and hiding from God would instead turn and run towards God, He will forgive them, even in the last moments of time.

When God’s final judgment day comes, will you be hiding in dread or resting secure in your relationship with God Almighty? Who do you and I know that even now seems to be trying to hide from God instead of running towards Him? What truths will you and I share with them?    

Alice

The Case for Vulnerability - Pt. 1

That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  2 Corinthians 12:10

A group I was in had a conversation about the topic of ‘vulnerability.’  This is a topic that I am very passionate about.  I am so passionate about it that I wrote about it once in a devotion a couple of years ago.  That did not get a lot of traction not only as a devotion but also in the conversation.  A lot of it has to do with how it has been defined as many people define vulnerability as weakness.  I once thought that way.  Then I found out something.  The less vulnerable I made myself to others, the less authentic I was.  I became less caring and dare I say dishonest.  Not just with others but more importantly myself. I believed I could handle everything.  “You can’t break me,” I thought.  What’s worse, I placed that framework on others.  Thus I became less forgiving and more judgmental.

Shortly after being born again, the script began to change.  Rather than try to hide my vulnerability (very trusting and emotionally caring such that it could be taken advantage), I opened my heart up to those who I knew.  Did this mean I was disappointed at times?  Yes. In fact, one of my greatest disappointments happened very recently where I ended up losing a friend.  However, it has not changed my willingness to be emotionally vulnerable.  Why? Because all of a sudden, I have a group of people who have become my closest friends, most passionate defenders, and most authentic relationships that one could ever have.  They are people who bring joy in my life, and while this sounds all warm and fuzzy, we actually have fights and disagreements!  But there is so much love and respect we have for each other that the bitterness never lasts.

I have thus come to realize that loving God requires utter and complete vulnerability.  Vulnerability does not make you weak.  Contrary to that thought, you gain strength when shown at the right time.  You will find that you become resilient in the face of uncertainty.  You find love in the midst of a great deal of pain, and trust me, you will have pain.  If you end up being vulnerable to those who matter the most, you all of a sudden realize you are courageous willing to put yourself out there where others are unwilling to and being more authentic than ever.  You find comfort knowing no matter how bad it is, God is with you, and from that, there is nothing you cannot overcome.

God loves us no matter what the world sees in us.  Someone once said, “Vulnerability is about showing up and being seen. It's tough to do that when we're terrified about what people might see or think.”  We must overcome this because it does not matter.  What's important is that showing vulnerability and owning that we are indeed weak alone but strong through Christ can indeed strengthen not only our faith but also how others view us.  What vulnerabilities do you have that you can tell to God?  How can you show strength through to others through your vulnerabilities?  My prayer is that we begin to make the case of being utterly and completely vulnerable to God.  Amen.  More on this next week!

Tues Devo: What is your focus?

Acts 1:6-8 “So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.’” (NASB)

Hello,

Ever had a seemingly endless task placed in front of you? It is so frustrating for us – we just want a deadline or an end date of some kind. But, some things are not accompanied by an end date. Sometimes there is an end date – but that knowledge would bias us against action, so we are not told that end date.

After Jesus rose from the dead and began appearing to people, His followers wanted Him to setup the kingdom right then – but it wasn’t time. In fact, Jesus gave no date at all….just a directive of what to do until the end came. They, and we, were to just be His witnesses everywhere they  went. But God was not unaware of the duration of His expectation – and knew we needed strength to endure in this task, which He gave us in the form of the Holy Spirit.

Do we know when the end will be? Nope. Do we know what to focus on until that time? Yup.

Have a blessed day, and keep going in the strength He has given us.

Will Hill