Matthew 7:7-11
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Keep on Knocking!
Do a Greek word study on each of the action verbs commanded of us in verse 7, and you’ll see that the verse would be better translated like this: “Keep on asking… keep on seeking… keep on knocking…” In other words, persevere. Don’t give up. Start by asking, by simply making an inquiry of God. But don’t stop there. Start seeking out his will. Continually study the entirety of his Word (Ps. 1:1-3; 119:160). But still don’t stop. Start knocking. Here’s where real perseverance comes in. Put into action and application what you find his Word to tell you.
Every single day, be asking for God to guide you, be seeking out his guidance in the Word, and continue to knock on Heaven’s door by active, penitent, continual obedience…and what will happen?
The will of God shall be given to you. You will find what you seek. The door shall be opened.
God is not our enemy. He is the best Friend we shall ever have. He is our Father, our Heavenly Parent. He blesses us every single day in more ways than we can count or even know in part because we’re so used to them that we take them for granted. The best gift of all which he offers is the gift of salvation freely given through his Son (Rom. 6:23). All believers ask for this salvation. Keep asking. True believers will seek it. Keep seeking. The saved will knock on his door, and it will be opened to them…because they choose to obey his Word (Matt. 7:21-27; Heb. 5:9).
It’s all about persistence, friends. Perseverance (Luke 11:5-8; 18:1-8). Not giving up. It’s the middle of February right now. Perhaps that New Year’s Resolution made a few weeks ago about studying your Bible every day is getting a little hard to fulfill because right about now in your quest to read the Bible through in one year you’ve now gotten to the latter part of Exodus or the book of Leviticus…which, admittedly, is pretty dry reading. Perhaps you’re being tempted to give up your efforts to bring the gospel to lost souls because no one has jumped into the baptistry yet after one study with you. Don’t give up. Persevere in your Bible studies, and you’d be surprised at the blessings which come (Ps. 119:97-104). Keep on sowing evangelistically, and you will reap (Gal. 6:9).
Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking…