Knock! Knock! Who's there?

 

For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:8)

 

My son’s favorite joke when he was six.

Knock! Knock!

Who’s there?

Olive.

Olive who? (drum roll … wait for it … !)

Olive you!

 

 

Ask. First I must admit I need or want something. Then admit I can’t get it on my own and so humble myself. Then I go looking. For most things I’m all too eager to ask God. But I wonder if there may be things I don’t ask, too afraid to ask or doubt His answer will be favorable. So I don’t ask at all. Not willing to go beyond the first step: asking in prayer without commitment.

 

Seek reminds me of hide and seek. Where what you want isn’t obvious and you have to go from place to place until you finally discover it.  Which makes me wonder about seek Ye first - but then maybe seek means desire. Desire which leads you to pursue it and find it. The Bible often speaks of persistence. Some people think that’s being a pest to God. But I think He wants us to continually call on Him for wisdom, discernment, and “come alongside” help us.

 

 And then there’s knock. Not storming in demanding but standing there respectfully and waiting for someone to open the door for you and then letting you in. How often do we storm the gates of heaven when we want a situation fixed immediately?

 

So what does ask, seek and knock have to do with my relationship to the Lord? Well it means I can’t be a prideful, know-it-all, demanding child. I must be humble and realize I am not self-sufficient. I must desire Him and pursue Him and Him alone to be my all in all. And not some “god” who waves a magic wand and makes everything instantly all better but a God Who will fight for me and with me – together empowering. And I must approach Him with all due respect. I must go to Him … and His welcoming face will answer the door and His loving arms will draw me in. When you knock, Who will be there? The One with the bottom line of … Olive you!

 

For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:8)