Learning to Knock--Trust

Luke 11:9-13(NLT) 9 “And so I tell you, 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. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

I have come to find the difference between "seeking" and "knocking". I began to seek the meaning of Paul's admonition in Philippians 2:12-13 (NASB) 12So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. I asked the question many ask, "What is the 'work' when our salvation is a free gift?" It goes back to the word "salvation". We throw the word around loosly. We speak of salvation of souls as being an initial experience of a sinner coming to believe and accept Jesus Christ as his Savior. At that moment his spirit is born into the Family of God and he becomes a blood-washed new creature in a new nation that is not geographical or of this realm. There remains the "saving of his soul" that is an on-going experience and will involve many ministries and your own personal work with the Holy Spirit leading the way and revealing the Word. The soul, like our spirit, is everlasting. We are a spirit, we have a soul, and we live in a body. The body and soul are very close. So close, that when the spirit and soul leave the body, the body dies, while parts of that body may be used in a person with a soul and still live and be effective.

Our soul is our personality, our drive and motivation. How we think and react to circumstances is in our soul. I believe our energy is tied to our soul also. While our bodies can be trained to more energy, our soul can cause lethargy through despondency. A happy outlook is better than medicine in many cases. We have to "work" at the saving of the soul. Let the Word of God abide in you. Meditate on it and eat it. Let it be the mirror into which you look. Then apply it to your reactions, motivations and relationships.

Knocking is the way we have a door opened. We do not change in our human nature's reactions to people and circumstances without knocking. It is putting into our own being a "natural" response that is Christ-like. It is walking in His Rest, His Peace, His Forgiveness and Mercy. I capitalize these because we have a human response that is often mistaken for these. This is why we go through tests. The human response fails in the testing, so we go back to knocking at the door.

The greatest tool in the task of knocking is trust. Proverbs 3:5-6(NLT) 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. I have witnessed people seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit and realize that the most needed asset in this asking, seeking, and knocking is trust. The deeper we go in God and the more we receive, the greater the need to trust. The more we see in our self of our own nature, the greater the need to trust in the One Who is at work in us. Knock, and keep on knocking, until the door is opened and you witness the completed work that God has in His mind.

When God created the vegetation on this earth, He commanded the ground to bring it forth. He had in mind what He wanted in all its detail, but He commanded the ground to produce it. He has brought your spirit to Life and now He commands you to do the works prepared before all creation for you to do. It is not enough for you to know, or even to understand, you must become. He came to BE the Way for you to become as He IS. So, keep on knocking!

Learning to Seek--Curiosity

We are awesomely made by the hand of God. Our bodies are awesome in the ability to grow and renew. Our souls are awesome in the ability to change--better or worse! But our spirit is a true gift from God and can retain His touch and grow to be like Him! Curiosity is a part of our being. It is expressed in spirit, soul and body! Without curiosity we would never ask, seek or knock! It is the means of progress in this realm. "Necessity is the mother of invention!" but "Curosity leads to wonder!" are two sayings that remind us that change is possible. We are made to make choices and change.

Have you ever just wondered about God? Nature is a great inspiration to the wonder of curiosity. Viewing the heavens, the ocean, the mountains and the woods is an opportunity to wonder at the Creator's attention to detail. I have been privileged to be familiar with many places and have found how little I know of any of them. Some were visited, and even lived in, many years ago and so would be vastly different now. Not in their geographical appearance but in what man has done to them. But these are only places. What of His Word? You say but that never changes! Not in some respects, but God in His progressive leading of us in our understanding, reveals more to us constantly. Without the curiosity of "What does God have for me today?", we become lethargic toward God in our everyday life.

We become so experienced in the way we live and work and play, we do not seek God in the "little" things of our life to be identified with God in them. "We are in control of this situation" has become a way of life to us! Little children learn very quickly the impatience of help with the cry, "I can do it!" But they are also quick to say, "Help me!" We need to keep this child-like attitude. Yes, God wants us to step out and learn to be responsible, mature and capable in Him. But He also wants us to remember where our help is.

This awesome, majestic, omnipotent and omniscient God is our covenant Friend saying today to you, "I Am your shield and exceeding great reward!"

Living With an Inheritance

As a young person, I used to wonder how it would be to "be rich" and know you have an inheritance. I think it was about the time that Queen Elizabeth became a princess and her father crowned king of England and magazines and newspapers were full of their new lifestyle. My father showed me a scripture that changed my concept of being rich. Ephesians 1:13-14(NASB) 13In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Listen to Jesus' word as related by Luke. Luke 11:9-13(NLT) 9 “And so I tell you, 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. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

In learning to seek, we also have to learn to live with the wealth that is ours in Him. In seeking, and in the confidence of finding, we not only have to refuse to become contented with what we have received and keep on seeking, we have to learn to appreciate what we have. There is a big difference in thinking we have "received it all" and so rest contented, and being appreciative of all we have received, while seeking more of God. I am so thankful that God has given us a part of our inheritance now. The Holy Spirit is true riches! We are rich while becoming richer! Not only is He our Teacher, He fills us with the awareness of who we are in Christ Jesus. Our inheritance is not just for the rest of our lives on earth, but for all eternity. We are the evidence of God's desire to make man "in Our image."

We must learn to live with such an inheritance. Live as His children, not paupers, but rich in His wealth. Be filled with all He longs to give you. Show who is your Father and your place in His Family by being radiant with His love, His mercy, and His forgiveness. All the wealth of His storehouse is yours. All Jesus paid for is laid up in that storehouse. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to take what Jesus has won for you and manifest it into you and through you.

Walk in His peace and in His joy. Jesus spoke it into this realm while here and it is yours for the finding.