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Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives; those who seek find; and to those who knock, the door will be opened.
Matthew 7:7-8
Several years ago, I was enamored with a pastor named Rob Bell. He pastors a church near Grand Rapids, Michigan called Mars Hill. He's written some books; my favorite is called SexGod. I downloaded and listened to lots of podcasts of his sermons. He spoke on the above passage from Matthew, and it just seemed so simple: Ask. Seek. Knock. He got me to see the simplicity of this verse. It's not about a lot of religous humdrum, it's about asking. It's about seeking Him. It's simple. Just not easy.
My biggest snare has been this: I feel like I have to make myself worthy before I can come to God. Which is a huge task. And I've never been able to fulfill it. And I never will be able to. But little by little, over the years I've polished myself less and less before seeking Him. So nowadays, the things I say to God and the situations I bring Him can be pretty scandalous. Embarassing even. A little like being naked spiritually.
And you know what? He is faithful. He forgives. And He delivers. He has delivered so often that I now expect Him to deliver. I bring Him situations that I don't know how to handle- NO- rather, I bring Him situations that I think I know how to handle, situations I've handled poorly for years. I bring Him the dark intentions of my heart in the moment, and I drop them in His lap because I have no idea what to do in order to prevent this scene from playing out the way it has a million or more times. I ask, I cry out, for help, for His way. So I walk into the situation now without a plan, expecting Him to show up. Instead of feeling the way I'm accustomed to feeling (crappy, abandoned, unwanted) because of my learned coping mechanisms...
HE shows up. He totally changes it. TOTALLY. It's like light and darkness, like day and night. I just let go and walk in, and things happen that I never expect to. But He is there like He always is. He heals me completely and seals me in His love and holiness. He opens up an unexpected smile and conversation where before there was just striving, my trying to create something out of nothing.
It's an amazing exchange: I give Him my poverty- emotional, moral, spiritual; bankruptcy of heart- and He drapes me in His holy robe, welcomes me home, and provides exactly what I need- emotionally, morally, spiritually, physically. He heals my heart, holds it gently in His hands. What kind of God is this??
A God who is love. Love so great that our tiny minds cannot even fathom it. Love so humble that He would become human just to become one with us, just to know us, so that we could know Him.
Amazing love. Real love.
For everyone who asks receives; those who seek find; and to those who knock, the door will be opened.
Matthew 7:7-8
Several years ago, I was enamored with a pastor named Rob Bell. He pastors a church near Grand Rapids, Michigan called Mars Hill. He's written some books; my favorite is called SexGod. I downloaded and listened to lots of podcasts of his sermons. He spoke on the above passage from Matthew, and it just seemed so simple: Ask. Seek. Knock. He got me to see the simplicity of this verse. It's not about a lot of religous humdrum, it's about asking. It's about seeking Him. It's simple. Just not easy.
My biggest snare has been this: I feel like I have to make myself worthy before I can come to God. Which is a huge task. And I've never been able to fulfill it. And I never will be able to. But little by little, over the years I've polished myself less and less before seeking Him. So nowadays, the things I say to God and the situations I bring Him can be pretty scandalous. Embarassing even. A little like being naked spiritually.
And you know what? He is faithful. He forgives. And He delivers. He has delivered so often that I now expect Him to deliver. I bring Him situations that I don't know how to handle- NO- rather, I bring Him situations that I think I know how to handle, situations I've handled poorly for years. I bring Him the dark intentions of my heart in the moment, and I drop them in His lap because I have no idea what to do in order to prevent this scene from playing out the way it has a million or more times. I ask, I cry out, for help, for His way. So I walk into the situation now without a plan, expecting Him to show up. Instead of feeling the way I'm accustomed to feeling (crappy, abandoned, unwanted) because of my learned coping mechanisms...
HE shows up. He totally changes it. TOTALLY. It's like light and darkness, like day and night. I just let go and walk in, and things happen that I never expect to. But He is there like He always is. He heals me completely and seals me in His love and holiness. He opens up an unexpected smile and conversation where before there was just striving, my trying to create something out of nothing.
It's an amazing exchange: I give Him my poverty- emotional, moral, spiritual; bankruptcy of heart- and He drapes me in His holy robe, welcomes me home, and provides exactly what I need- emotionally, morally, spiritually, physically. He heals my heart, holds it gently in His hands. What kind of God is this??
A God who is love. Love so great that our tiny minds cannot even fathom it. Love so humble that He would become human just to become one with us, just to know us, so that we could know Him.
Amazing love. Real love.
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