Matthew 7:7-8 “7- Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8- For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened!”
This is a seemingly beautiful passage that would create an atmosphere of hope. That causes one to look at God and realize that He does actually care about our needs and desires. That it is His will to show you the many blessings He has in store for you. Of this I completely agree, though it has been a 5 year journey now of discovering what that passage actually means.
It does not mean that God will give you what ever you want. Nor does it mean that the blessings He has for you are the ones you believe you deserve or are entitled too. No, that is not what this means.
It does mean we can make our requests known to God. It does mean we can take our desires, our hopes, our dreams, and lay them before God in a humble request to have them brought about. And than He will take them and show you which ones will be granted and which ones won't. Than He will give you the strength to receive that truth. He may promise you things that you will need to wait years for to see come true.
How do I know this? Abraham waited years upon years. Joseph waited for years. Moses waited for years. The Israelites waited for a very long time to receive the promised Messiah. So if these patriarchs were made to wait. What might that say about you and what you feel God has promised to you?
I know for myself that I am holding on to some promises. I have seen God answer many of my prayers. I have witnessed Him do miraculous things in and around my life. I have also been told by Him that there are promises that I must wait even longer for. And it is in this time of waiting where my true character will be displayed. Where my heart posture will be brought to the surface. Being faced with doubt, or worry, or questioning the goodness of God. Do I hold fast to the words I believe He has spoken, or do I step out of His will and try to force my own hand...this is where my character will shine through.
I write this because that is literally where I am at right now. I am once again in a position where I need to trust in Gods timing. If I do anything on my own accord, what I believe He has spoken will most likely crash and burn before me. But if I take the risk. If I wait once more, perhaps it may come to be. But even if it doesn't, that only means that God is still working. That He still has a plan, even when I don't.
What would you rather do? Would you rather try to force your hand and watch something not work, or would you rather wait patiently, learning to trust in the Most Holy God, and see if He is who He really says He is. Because that is what it comes down to isn't it. The only reason we step out and try to make something happen before it's timing is because we don't actually believe God does have the best in store for us. Nor do we truly believe that He cares enough about each of us individually.
Is this something that is causing you to search your heart. To look upon yourself with honesty? Because it is for me. It is causing me to slow down and assess my true intentions and my actual beliefs. But in that process it is also making me realize that God is worth it. He is more important to me than what I think my desires should be. He is more important to me than what I think timing should look like. And at the end of the day I am able to come to the conclusion that He is just simply more important. That in comparison to Him, all else can fade away. And I wouldn't want it any other way!
This is a seemingly beautiful passage that would create an atmosphere of hope. That causes one to look at God and realize that He does actually care about our needs and desires. That it is His will to show you the many blessings He has in store for you. Of this I completely agree, though it has been a 5 year journey now of discovering what that passage actually means.
It does not mean that God will give you what ever you want. Nor does it mean that the blessings He has for you are the ones you believe you deserve or are entitled too. No, that is not what this means.
It does mean we can make our requests known to God. It does mean we can take our desires, our hopes, our dreams, and lay them before God in a humble request to have them brought about. And than He will take them and show you which ones will be granted and which ones won't. Than He will give you the strength to receive that truth. He may promise you things that you will need to wait years for to see come true.
How do I know this? Abraham waited years upon years. Joseph waited for years. Moses waited for years. The Israelites waited for a very long time to receive the promised Messiah. So if these patriarchs were made to wait. What might that say about you and what you feel God has promised to you?
I know for myself that I am holding on to some promises. I have seen God answer many of my prayers. I have witnessed Him do miraculous things in and around my life. I have also been told by Him that there are promises that I must wait even longer for. And it is in this time of waiting where my true character will be displayed. Where my heart posture will be brought to the surface. Being faced with doubt, or worry, or questioning the goodness of God. Do I hold fast to the words I believe He has spoken, or do I step out of His will and try to force my own hand...this is where my character will shine through.
I write this because that is literally where I am at right now. I am once again in a position where I need to trust in Gods timing. If I do anything on my own accord, what I believe He has spoken will most likely crash and burn before me. But if I take the risk. If I wait once more, perhaps it may come to be. But even if it doesn't, that only means that God is still working. That He still has a plan, even when I don't.
What would you rather do? Would you rather try to force your hand and watch something not work, or would you rather wait patiently, learning to trust in the Most Holy God, and see if He is who He really says He is. Because that is what it comes down to isn't it. The only reason we step out and try to make something happen before it's timing is because we don't actually believe God does have the best in store for us. Nor do we truly believe that He cares enough about each of us individually.
Is this something that is causing you to search your heart. To look upon yourself with honesty? Because it is for me. It is causing me to slow down and assess my true intentions and my actual beliefs. But in that process it is also making me realize that God is worth it. He is more important to me than what I think my desires should be. He is more important to me than what I think timing should look like. And at the end of the day I am able to come to the conclusion that He is just simply more important. That in comparison to Him, all else can fade away. And I wouldn't want it any other way!