Bang on the door
For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7 : 8 (NIVUK) |
Our passage this week is very well known. However I thought it would be worth thinking about what these words really mean.
We see God reminding us that he is a God who provides for us. He loves to equip us, to make sure we have everything we need to thrive in the situations that he has put us in.
But there is one little caveat, one little point in this passage. It is down to us to turn to God for our needs. He wants us to ask him for what we need. This isn't because he is unaware, quite the opposite! He wants us to ask him so that we remember that he is the one who provides for us.
The passage then goes a step further. It says "knock and the door will be opened". Knocking requires action on our part. In order to be able to knock we have to first get up go to the door. Then reach out our hand and thump on the door.
I think that Jesus put both of these lines into the passage for two reasons. Firstly he wants to have a relationship with us, and relationships start with a conversation. This covers the first line the asking.
The second line, the doing reflects God's desire for us to be active in our faith in him. This tells us that we shouldn't settle for a passive relationship with him, limited to just asking and listening. We need to be going and doing as well.
This week think about which doors you want to bang on, which areas of your life you want God to open up or change. Tell God about them in prayer, then go out and knock. Have a great week.
This week's song is Ready Set Go by Royal Tailor. |
Header image by: Florian Bugiel via Flickr