Bible Reading Thoughts 1-9-12

 Genesis 23, 24 Matthew 7

Ask and it will be given. In Genesis 24 we read that Abraham has sent his servant to find Isaac a wife. The servant had been around Abraham and was a trusted servant. When the servant arrived at his destination, the land of Nahor, he took the time to stop and pray. He had seen the way that God had blessed Abraham as he was faithful to God. The servant went to God and gave Him all of his concerns and doubts. The servant asked for clear vision as to whom he sought. God provided the sign needed at the time the servant asked. God already knew the blessings that He was going to provide. He had set in motion the events needed to have Rebekah at the right place at the right time. At the exact time of the servant’s prayer, Rebekah appeared. In Matthew 7, Jesus is still delivering His Sermon on the Mount. One of the points he made was “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Once again the Old and New come together to strengthen each other. We see the direction given by Jesus and the application that the servant did centuries before the sermon. The servant asked and it was given. The servant also sought to know God and was rewarded. The servant “knocked” on the door of Nahor and was invited into the house. When we go to the Lord in prayer to ask, seek and knock, we need to do so for the right reasons. Today we see so many churches preaching the prosperity of life. They are teaching that naming wealth and prosperity is all that it takes to gain them. It takes more than that. God is not a prayer ATM. We should not go to God just when we want or need something. We should take all things to Him, both great and small. We need to be in constant communication with God. Tell Him when you are glad as well as when you are sad. Tell Him when you are happy as well as when you are mad. He will listen with great focus. He wants you to talk to Him. God wants to have a conversation with us. He wants us to seek Him. When we seek God we are drawing nearer to Him. There is no better place than near God. God knows our desires before we ever realize them ourselves. God has placed things in motion to give us His desired for our lives. What He has planned for our lives is way better than what we could ever wish. Jesus is knocking on the door of our hearts. Invite Him in today. Ask Him to come into your life and change you. Seek God with all that you have. Answer the knock on your hearts door. Thanking God we are in His Grip, Kevin Peters