Just A.S.K.

In the first few sleepy moments of my day one morning, I began to summon the Lord for guidance and direction in what I felt He had given me weeks before. I know Him enough to know that nothing He initiates remains forgotten or left unfinished, but rather He utilizes every precious moment for His glory and our benefit. Yet, I felt as though He left a strong box in my possession, and forgot to leave the key. 

He answered with this verse. 

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matt. 7:7).

I realize that oftentimes what appears as silence from God is actually a hidden blessing, provoking us toward a deeper level of hunger. And this morning, like a baby who missed her middle-of-the-night bottles, I awakened with a d-e-e-p hunger.

Ask
Seek
Knock 

I had sought the Lord on occasion for an answer, and even asked others to pray, but had become so distracted with family matters, personal concerns, and health issues. I had not eagerly, fervently, or persistently asked, sought, or knocked for answers. I was hoping that maybe when I least expected it, the "key" would appear as suddenly as had the “strong box”. 

Hebrews 12:1 reminds me that “since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us”. 

God graciously marked out the race for me, and I had allowed myself to become distracted, not by sin, but just by the entanglements of my personal engagements and activities. I failed to faithfully, consistently engage the physical (quiet time, study, personal prayer) in order to experience the spiritual,  leaving it solely to the occasional, even unenthusiastic prayer.

Sometimes, we can move so fast and get so distracted doing even good things that we don't give life or God the chance to do anything with us. For me, I was distracted with what "could be", rather than allowing God to instruct me in the present in order to prepare me for the future. 

There have been times I've waited on God, and then times I've been guilty of procrastinating, calling it "waiting on God", when in reality, I simply needed to be taking action. 

Just as Jesus asked the  man with the withered hand to "stand" and "stretch out" his hand (Mark 3:3 NIV), I needed to stand on God's promise of long ago (Phil. 1:6) and stretch my faith toward the area of God's calling. (Heb. 11:1) 

Asking, seeking, and knocking “engage” the physical to experience the spiritual. God desires our determination and resolve. It is not a matter of whether or not God is willing, but rather  of how available, how hungry, and how determined we are to receive. Deep hunger drives us to ask, seek, knock, walk, run, speak, stretch, show up, throw off, drive out (Mark 11:15), persevere, etc.

God desires our activity, not our activities. (1 Cor. 9:24) Let us not get so busy looking for God's purpose for our life, that we forget to spend quality time with the One from whom all blessings, guidance, joy, peace, and understanding flow. 

Being hungry is good . . . when your hunger drives you to the throne of God.

Friend, what has God marked out for you in the way of your personal faith walk or ministry? Perhaps you sense a new stirring and increased fervor from deep within, but are not quite sure of the direction God is truly leading. Ask, seek and knock, and then trust that the doors of heaven will be opened unto you, and those not meant for you, He will close.

God does not call the equipped; He equips the called, and He will equip you, for His glory and praise. (Heb. 13:21)  
 

Does this post resonate with your spirit? Let me know in the comments section below.