So I say to you: 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; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
~ Luke 11:9-10 (NIV)
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Wow, do I even want to touch this one?
This verse has been oft misused and abused, and even after reading it in context (both in Matthew and Luke), I, as a layperson, have trouble understanding Jesus' specific meaning. In Luke, He talks about God giving the Holy Spirit freely to those who ask. In Matthew, He just talks about "good gifts". Honestly, I don't know how best to interpret this, especially when people get so bent out of shape when they claim this verse in prayer and then don't see results. Kinda like the kid on Christmas morning, amidst the mountain of wrapping paper, grumbling that he doesn't believe in Santa Claus anymore because he didn't get that five-legged, hairy monster that he begged St. Nick for at the mall.
We read this verse and think this is a free ticket to God's warehouse -- and when we don't get what we want, we pout like a little kid, or worse, we get mad at God and break off communication. Wow -- and that is what we call a loving two-way relationship? Sounds more like Romper Room.
I know that God loves to give good gifts to His children. How do I know this? Because I know my Father. I know that He is generous and kind and loving to His kids -- I know His character. But I also know that our character doesn't match His character naturally, and we are in the constant process of being shaped by His character and His plan -- we're in the Refiner's fire. And our prayer life is a big part of that process.
In John 11, when Lazarus got sick, his sisters sent a message to Jesus, presumably for Him to come and heal their brother. But Jesus delayed in going -- 2 days, in fact. So, by the time He and His disciples got there, Lazarus was dead. Can you imagine the frustration and sadness that Mary and Martha felt? They knew Jesus could do a miracle for their brother. But He didn't come at their beck and call. He waited. He knew why, but they didn't. And we're in the same boat as they.
Like I said, this passage is a hard one, and I don't claim to grasp it. But what does strike me is the dependence on God that's so clear. Are we really going to God for all of our needs? Is He our sole Provider and Protector? Do we depend on Him for our very existence, or do we rely so much on ourselves, that the only time we come to Him is in crisis mode?
God truly is our lifeline, whether we behave like it or not. But what He's looking for are children that do understand and revel in their dependence on Him -- casting all their anxiety on Him, because He cares for them (1 Peter 5:7). So, I ask you: Where is your dependence?
Now just the other day I overheard a flower talking to the sky
He said you know that I would be nothing without You, oh, oh
He said you give me rain, you give the sun a place to shine
You're everything that my whole existence comes down to, oh, oh
And then the flower started singing a song
Before I knew it I was singing along
And we sang...
This is my declaration of dependence
This is my declaration of my need
This is my declaration of dependence
On the one who gave His life to me
Now, let me say that I'm the kind of guy who wants to do it all myself
Don't want to ask for help, don't like to stop for directions, oh, oh
But in reality I'm nothing on my own
It's by God's grace alone that I can make this confession
All that I am and all I'm hoping to be
Is all and only what He's given to me
So I say...
This is my declaration of dependence
This is my declaration of my need
This is my declaration of dependence
On the one who gave His life to me
And I know this is how my life was meant to be
I was made for this dependency
On the one who has created me
So I'll sing my declaration song
For the one I am depending on
And I hope you'll sing along...
~ Declaration of Dependence, by Steven Curtis Chapman
Love,
Joelene
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1 comment:
I've always thought the idea of "ask and you shall receive" and of God giving "good gifts" has to be thought about in context with God's nature.
God is perfection. He is perfect in every way. These verses are not a free ticket to God's great warehouse too look through it and see what we want God to give us, but instead a promise that when we come to God, asking with an honest heart and praying to find God's will, God will be faithful to give us the things that HE KNOWS we need to continue to bend us to HIS will, not what WE THINK we need.
"Give us this day our daily bread" is a request to God to grant us whatever we need TODAY. I could ask for pizza, but it is the best thing for me? And what, really, is my "daily bread" today? After all, Jesus quoted scripture saying man does not live on bread alone, but on every word of God.
So who determines what we need? Who determines the gifts that will be given, and what doors will be opened, and what the seeker will find? God does, not me. And in keeping with His nature, when we come to God seeking HIS will, not ours, we find God giving us the perfect things designed exactly for us.
What joy is there in receiving THAT kind of gift?
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