3 passages

Matthew 7

7 "Keep on asking,

and you will receive what you ask for.

Keep on seeking,

and you will find.

Keep on knocking,

and the door will be opened to you.

8 For everyone who asks,

receives.

Everyone who seeks,

finds.

And to everyone who knocks,

the door will be opened.

9 "You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread,

do you give them a stone instead?

10 Or if they ask for a fish,

do you give them a snake?

Of course not!

11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him?

I've mentioned before in these blogs that the thing that stands out to me in this passage is just 2 words:

“Keep on...”

I feel like that Jesus is saying something specific to us...

...no matter what, just keep moving forward.

Keep asking, seeking, & knowing.

Keep at it.

Don't stop.

I don't believe that Jesus was basically saying that God is a celestial vending machine, cranking out what we indicate we want.

I believe Jesus IS saying that we don't need to give up & wait for God's actions to floating in the window on a silver platter.

Did that last statement make sense?

And Jesus goes on to say that if we are able to find enough wisdom & love to take care of our own children,

then God, who is infinitely more wise & loving, must certain know when, where, how, & with whom to give to us what we are persevering to receive.

Matthew 5, 6, & 7 are what is euphemistically referred to as “The Sermon on the Mount.”

In those chapters, it's obvious that Matthew jammed a LOT of stuff Jesus said in this major talk / sharing.

There's an AWFUL LOT of stuff in those 3 chapters.

I've known plenty of people who just camp out over an extended period of time in those 3 chapters.

This is something you might want to do – read through those 3 chapters more than once or twice.

Maybe take one chapter & read it over & over for a week or so.

There's just SO MUCH in each chapter that it's easy to miss.

And if you've NEVER read those 3 chapters, make it a priority to read through them in more than once in the next week.

********

Matthew 7

12 "Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.

This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

I wonder what our world would be like if we all lived out what verse 12 says?

********

Ephesians 3

20 Now all glory to God,

who is able,

through his mighty power at work within us,

to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

And I couldn't pass up an opportunity to share this verse that I read this morning because of 2 words...

“infinitely more”.

God is not limited by what we think should happen.

His overarching plan - for humankind in general - & for you & I specifically - is stupendously more far reaching than we are able to wrap our brains around.

God is limitless.

And His ability to act in any given situation is limitless.

And I hope that brief treatise on 3:20 makes sense.

I seem a little fuzzy headed this morning – sorry.