January 20

Matthew 7:1-11 (Click to see scripture)

Bible in One Year Passages:

Journal Entry

Scripture

“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 who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (v. 7-11)

Observation

God loves me. God loves His children much more than I can ever love and care for my own. As God the Father, He also knows what is BEST for me. The amazing thing is that He can actually provide what is BEST and not merely hope or intend it. So the issue is am I "asking," "seeking," and "knocking" for what is best or just some shadow of it. As the earlier verses in Matthew provides (in particular Matthew 5), it really comes down to where my heart is. What I truly seek after will naturally flow from my heart. If my heart is not in tune with Christ, I will not seek after what is BEST. In fact, I will seek after the wrong things that will only harm me.

Application

A few weeks ago, my five year old daughter fell and broke a couple bones in her foot. She cried more than normal and my wife and I sensed something was wrong because the top of her foot began to swell immediately. Right away, we wanted to apply some ice on the foot to relieve some of the pain/swelling. But my daughter resisted vehemently. I think she cried more with my attempt to apply ice than she did from the fall. Things would have gone much better, if my daughter understood that the "cold" ice was not meant to harm her but to help. I am this way with God.

Am I seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness like my life depended on it? Am I presenting myself as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God? Am I daily seeking the renewal of my mind so that I am not conformed to the ways of this world? How desperately I need the Holy Spirit to seek the BEST way. In my thirst, I am satisfied with just one drop of water when everlasting water is available.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for your unending love and mercy. Help me to see the eternal and that I am first a citizen of heaven. I am only truly satisfied in knowing You and loving others. Please change my heart so that I can seek after the BEST things.

--Jyim