Ask Rightly to Receive

“⁷Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7-8 (ESV)

Jesus said the above and I know that it gets misquoted a lot. Or at least misunderstood and applied in our lives. When reading the above, it can be presumed that if you want something, you need only ask. And when it is not given, we wonder in frustration and tend to attempt things on our own to get that which we want.

“³You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” – James 4:3 (ESV)

And here we have James addressing one of the reasons that we do not receive what we ask. We are asking wrongly or for the wrong reasons. We are not asking as someone needing provision, we are asking for blessings, or fleeting things. We are not asking for things to be used in bringing glory to God or to get by in this world. We are asking for things that will bring glory to ourselves.

To receive that which we ask for, we should be asking for those things of provision and to bring glory to God. Asking for riches may not be right, but asking for means to provide for others may be right. Asking for arm candy as a date is likely wrong, but asking for a husband or wife who loves me is more in line with what God has in store for us. Asking for a huge house in a nice neighborhood is not the same ask asking for a place to call home for your family. It is the context of the ask where we will receive, not in the what we ask.

God will ensure that we have what we “need”. And, He will provide blessings for us as well. I know that Lori and I have all that we need to make it today, a home, transportation, clothing, food, and all those things. And God has blessed us with things that are much more than we need, our 3000 square foot home, our 2024 Ford Bronco, new clothing, and occasionally a steak for dinner.

We will receive that which we ask for when we ask rightly from the LORD. He will provide for our needs and once we have those, He will give blessings on top, at His discretion. Regardless of those needs or blessings, God gives to us when we ask and are using those things to ultimately bring glory to Him.

What is your view of asking and receiving? Do you get frustrated when you don’t get what you ask? What if you were to ask rightly, in concert with the LORD and bringing glory to Him as opposed to your own personal wants?

Give and You Will Receive

I get frustrated with giving all the time and not receiving, well as I have been seeing it. This morning I was reminded that we don’t give to receive, but our giving is the receiving. It know, it sounds a bit as though I am speaking in circles a bit, and that is why I forget about all that I have received.

You see, we give, not to receive, but to see that others are receiving that which is good and they are in need of, even if they did not realize that it was a need. I don’t give to others to get something from them, I give to them to remove the need from their plate so that they can focus their attention on other things. I provide for them so they do not have to provide for themselves. Here is an example. Lori makes sourdough bread and over the past few weeks started using nitrile gloves so the dough does not stick to her hands. I noticed she was out of them and went to get a pack for her. This example is not a grand gesture, but one that demonstrates giving without looking for receipt.

The thing is that I did receive something far greater and more important than any physical item. I got to witness Lori using the gloves to do what she does. I received satisfaction that I met a need for her. Isn’t that a better receipt than the monetary or physical items.

“³³I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. ³⁴You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. ³⁵In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” – Acts 20:33-35 (ESV)

Paul, who was from the educated and ruling class, did not have physical possessions as he was in the throws of his ministry. He provided for the needs of others and did not worry with accumulating things, as he only focused on his “needs”. Paul received the gift of spending time with others and providing for their needs as opposed to his own.

“²³I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. ²⁴But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. ²⁵Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.” – Philippians 1:23-26 (ESV)

Paul explains his joy is found in remaining in this life to give to others for their joy in the faith and that they might have “ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus”. All the while being content with what he had even being in prison for his actions.

Too often we look to “what’s in it for me” and shy away from thing that do not bring us gifts. This is not the direction of a follower of Christ. We should be looking as to “what can I do for you” knowing that we have what we “need” and will receive joy by ensuring that others are provided for in their needs. I have to remember that I am giving, not to receive, but that I am/will receive just by giving and seeing others needs fulfilled.

Why do you give? Do you give with the expectation that at some point you will receive? What if you were to realize that you are receiving just by giving to fulfill the needs of others?

The LORD Is the Gate and We Find Our Needs in Him

I am from the rural parts of Texas. Now, where I am not a farmer or rancher, I did grow up around acreage and livestock. Where anyone can get into the land by simply hopping over or going through the fence, there is a difference when coming through the gate. The gate is where the provision comes.

“²But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” – John 10:2-3 (ESV)

It is quite the thing to see when the farmer or rancher comes through the gate into the pasture land. The livestock immediately come around knowing that they will be fed or cared for. They will follow the truck of the farmer to the barn and wait patiently to be addressed by the farmer as they know he cares for them. They know sound of his truck. They know the blowing of the horn. They know it is time to be cared for.

Now, as for us kids, we could go through the fence to get to the pasture to play ball or fly kites or another other thing and we were not bothered by the livestock at all. We could be out there for hours without seeing a single animal, until the farmer, would come through the gate. The livestock know.

“⁷So Jesus again said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. ⁹I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.’” – John 10:7-9 (ESV)

Jesus is our shepherd and we know Him. We come to Him when He calls. When He comes through the gate, we know He is there for us. We will follow. He provides for us and cares for us and feeds us. He gives just what we need and we know Him. We know that when we are with Jesus, we are in the good pasture and will find and have all we need.

There is only one way to find peace and care and comfort, through the LORD. When we find Him, we find all we need. The LORD does not just come through the gate and care for us, He is the gate to our safety and protection and provision. We will find it all when He comes for us and when we go to and through Him.

Where are you looking for provision? Are you running to the first to come near you? What if you were to look for the gate that is Jesus and know that where He is you will find provision?

Stay Persistent in Your Prayer

“¹⁷pray without ceasing,” — 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV)

Paul, in writing to the church at Thessalonica told them to be in continuous prayer. I see this as being persistent in reaching out to the LORD. Notice that Paul’s directive is not specific for any subject other than prayer and communication with the LORD. I believe this to be the case today.

“⁷And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?” – Luke 18:7 (ESV)

Jesus even addressed continued prayer in, “The Parable of the Persistent Widow” that the above verse comes from. The widow comes to a judge all the time for justice to which the judge finally provides for her. Where the judge was worn down thanks to the persistence of the widow.

God will not be worn down. As we know of God’s character, He acts in His time and we are to wait on Him. But, that does not mean that we are not to make out petitions known, even continually. God wants for us to continue reaching out to Him. We are to pray all the time for those things that we are in need. Remember that He does say to ask and you shall receive. So we must keep asking.

“⁸I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” – Luke 18:8 (ESV)

Our faith is demonstrated through our consistent and persistent asking of our Father to be there for us. We are to come to Him day and night, continually. We are to bring to Him all things. We are to ask for His will in our lives. We are to commune with the LORD and He will listen. But not only will He listen, He will provide for our needs speedily. He will address our needs in a timely manner. The LORD will give to us.

The LORD answers our prayers. Maybe not to the extent that we envisioned, but He does answer. Remember that the LORD provides for our needs not always our wants. We are directed to continually and persistently pray, “pray without ceasing”, and the LORD will answer our petition.

How are you praying? Are you asking once and expecting to be given? What if you followed the direction Paul and more of Jesus, to be persistent in your prayer to receive from the LORD?

It is all with God on our Heart

Yes, all that we have and strive to be starts with God on our heart.

“³Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;

bind them around your neck;

write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴So you will find favor and good success

in the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

⁶In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

⁷Be not wise in your own eyes;

fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

⁸It will be healing to your flesh

and refreshment to your bones.”

— Proverbs 3:3-8 (ESV)

A friend of mine once advised me to read one chapter of Proverbs daily and in a month (31 days) you will have read all of Proverbs (31 verses). The thing about Proverbs is, as noted in the introduction to the book in my ESV Bible, that it is “Practical wisdom for living”. This morning I see that wisdom playing out.

All of our growth and success in this world is based on our life with God on our heart. We are to write Him and all that He gives to us on our hearts and trust Him fully in our heart and for that we are rewarded with riches as He provides them. We are able to walk a path that leads somewhere and not a path where we are wandering. We will be healed from all that ails us in this world. In short, we are given all that we could ever truly want when it comes to finding where we belong and just what we need.

I should not be, but am amazed every day at all that I have accomplished in this world. Maybe not from a secular viewpoint, but from the viewpoint of contentment. I have health, a place to live, a wife and family that I love and that loves me, a church family that I know I can count on if/when things go awry, and most importantly a LORD that will provide all that I “NEED” to keep on keeping on in this world until my time here is done. And I attribute it all to my relationship with Him and having Him on my heart at all times.

Yes, there are still struggles, but those are largely identified by the world and not by God, as there is nothing that God cannot handle or provide for. I continue daily to wonder if I am on the right path and am I going to be successful, and then something is revealed that only God could have taken care of and provided for. I am a success. I am on the right path. I am healthy in His eyes. And, I owe it all to God and having Him in/on my heart daily.

What are you leaning on? Are you trying to do it all yourself? What if you were to place the LORD in/on your heart and allow Him to lead you from the inside out?

Give Freely From the Heart

“⁹Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and you be guilty of sin. ¹⁰You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.” – Deuteronomy 15:9-10 (ESV)

This passage is from that titled in my ESV Bible as “The Sabbatical Year”. The instruction in the full passage is to give freely to your brothers and neighbors. Whether lending or full on gifting, you are to be sure to provide for the needs of your poor brothers and sisters. In this Sabbatical year, there is a moratorium in the collection of the lent resources. That can be fully forgiven or simply paused for the year. But no matter where you are in relation to the Sabbatical year, you are to continue to give freely to your poor brothers and sisters.

The part of the verse that I was led to this morning is that of giving freely from the heart. We are to want to support our neighbors and brothers. We are to almost go out of our way to provide for their needs, and do so from a deep sense of love and compassion without concern for payback. We are to be heartfelt in providing and not do so with any animosity in our heart.

I admit to being cynical and have a hard time with supporting others that have opportunity to support themselves. I have seen too often, those who take advantage of the generosity of others and wonder if there really is need based on the actions of those receiving. But, I have to remember the second part of verse 10 above, “because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.”

You see, it is not about what my brother, sister, and neighbor has going on in their heart, when the need is identified, it is my role to work to fill that need. Yes, their may be ill intent on the part of the receiver, and they will be dealt with by the LORD just as I will be dealt with based on my actions to provide. There should be no grudgingly giving. I have to give freely from the heart to meet the needs of my brother, sister, and neighbor. In that I will find my reward in heaven.

What is your view of giving? Are you reluctant based on the actions of those who you provide? What if you were to give freely from the heart and allow God to provide judgment?

Who Leads You, God or King

I know, that seems like a question that may get some conflicting thoughts. And I will say that at first consideration, it does to me as well. This morning in my reading and study, I was asked to consider that very question and dug into them.

The Israelites wanted a king and the LORD granted their want. But as with most things, wants and needs are two very different things. The Israelites saw that grand size and wealth and pageantry of the other nations and wanted that very thing for themselves without considering the cost.

In 1 Samuel 8:10-22 Samuel laid out the cost to them. A king will take sons to be in the army, take daughters to serve him, take the best of fields for his pleasure, take your servants to serve as his, take the best of the flocks for his. Everything that was had by the Israelites was not theirs any longer, as ll belonged to the world and the king who reigned over it. Even after learning of all that a king will take, the people were still blinded by their want, and so the LORD gave it to them. The results were as to be expected, just what Samuel had laid out to them.

Contrast that with having our God. He is our king. He does not take, we give. Everything that we have, just as with a king, belongs to Him. The difference is that we continue to work it and have it for us. Our sons, stay with us until their time to have their own families. And the same for our daughters. That which comes from our fields is still for us to work and experience the bounty. Our servants, would remain in our household. Our flocks are for us to work and experience. All that we have is ours and the bounty that comes from it we attribute to the LORD and give freely back to Him.

Our kingdom should be ruled by God. He is the example of the true king in our lives. He provides for us as He only wants the best for us. No, we may not be rich with things of the world. We may not have millions of acres and/or millions of dollars. We will however have what we need to be content and enjoy our time together, and more importantly, our time with Him. By giving ourselves to God as our king, all will be provided for us.

“³³But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

Who is leading your life? Are you beholden to a king and all that he takes from you? What if you were to worship God as your king and know that He provides all that we need?

The LORD Will Take Away

As a follower of Christ I am comforted that I will have rewards in heaven. I know that the LORD will provide for my needs. My salvation has been granted thanks to my acceptance of it from the LORD as His gift. But, all that I have in this world is not guaranteed. That which I have been blessed with can and will be taken away if I am not faithful to the LORD and do all that He has commanded of me.

“¹¹Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, ‘Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant.’” – 1 Kings 11:11 (ESV)

As Solomon had not kept up with his work for the LORD, the LORD removed the blessings from him.

This lesson is for me even today. I have been blessed with where Lori and I live. We are in a community that is friendly, generous, and desired by those outside looking in. The LORD made it possible for us to have raised our boys in this community where they were somewhat shielded from a lot of the world and the hardship that is found in other areas of it. But, as was with Solomon, the LORD could take it away at any moment if/when we fall away from Him.

There is however something that I am able to count on with regard to the LORD, His provision. Yes, I have been blessed with where we live and the LORD can take that blessing away at any moment based on my lack of continued dedication to Him. But, I can find solace in the fact that even if those blessings are removed from me, He will still provide for my needs and honor His promises to me.

“¹²Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. ¹³However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen.” – 1 Kings 11:12-13 (ESV)

Solomon, who turned away from the LORD, was not cut off from God. His provision was not taken away. The LORD will do the same with me. God loves me, and my inheritance in His kingdom has been guaranteed, but blessings in this world are not, only provision. He will take away the excess that is not part of that guarantee. I am not entitled to the excess, and frankly, I am not entitled to anything, yet the LORD, through His grace, ensures that my needs will be met in this world.

It is up to me to remain faithful to the LORD. It is my choice to do so. That is the beauty of the LORD, He has given me way to free will. And with that free will there are consequences when the choices I make do not align with Him and His will. But even when I do not choose Him and His will, He remains faithful to provide for my needs and His promise of salvation.

What are your thoughts as to the things we receive from the LORD? Are you even aware that the LORD provides the blessings you have? What if you were to recognize that those blessings are just that and can be taken away by the LORD, but, He will still provide for your needs?

Why do We Always Expect Things Literal

As a man, I expect that things are as they are stated. I tend to believe things to be the way they are there should be no interpretation. I should simply be able to get on with things and know that they are so. This is not lost in the LORD and He knows that He has to explain things so that I am able to understand.

I think of the whole Jesus is the bread of life thing. There was the woman at the well as well as the people of Capernaum as I read this morning in John. I think of the amount of time that Jesus spent explaining to others so that they would understand and then look at myself and see the same in me to a degree. Jesus spoke with the woman at the well and gave her the ins and outs of who He was and she believed. He spoke in the synagogue at Capernaum and the people eventually understood. He did not shy away from telling those who needed to know.

For me, I still read and work to understand God’s Word daily. I am here right now, reading the same verses and passages that I did a time ago. I want to know how to not be so literal. I want to understand and not just gather the information. I have to work through the literal and into that which God wants me to know and then carry that understanding to others who are in need of understanding themselves.

“²⁵When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ ²⁶Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. ²⁷Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.’ ³⁵Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’” – John 6:25-27 & 35 (ESV)

I have to get past the guessing and “read” what it is that God would have me know. I have to listen and not just hear. I have to dig for that which He would have me know and not just expect that it will be learned by my shear exposure.

Jesus is the bread of life in that He provides all that I could ever need. And that is the key, “need”. Too often I believe that it is hard to understand as I am seeking what I want and not what is needed. It is the wants and desires that get in the way of the understanding in that I am seeking my will and not the will of God. God’s will is in the provision for needs and I have to remember to be content with that. When I am, God will bless me with more at His discretion and not my own. I need that which will give me the chance to survive and do the will of God and not that which gets me fattened on the desires of the world. Jesus is the bread of “life”, not the bread of monetary gain.

Yes, God will provide actual bread as He did for the Israelite people in the wilderness. When we look at it for what it was, God only provided for the immediate need and not for the storehouses. He provided life as long as it was needed according to His plan.

I have to remember to look past the literal and understand the bread that God is providing in the moment. I have to look to understand that when God provides, He does so for my needs, regardless of what those might be at the time. He does not generally provide for my gains to be more monetarily, but for my gains in His kingdom to come.

What are your views of the bread of life? Are you looking to literal bread that God provides and how somehow that is going to sustain you throughout your life? What if you looked to God to provide for your immediate needs and that as the bread of life, He meets those needs where they are?