Knocking on Heaven's Door

“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!”—Matthew 7:7-11

 

God is good. Did you read that? Go back, read it again…slowly. God is good. He is good. He is good to you. He is good to you in the situation in which you find yourself right now. His intent isn’t to harm you. He may discipline you (Hebrews 12:5-11), but that is because He is good and He loves you. Did you get that part too? He loves you. He loves you. He loves you. That’s important to realize because He wants to give you good things.

 

It’s summer in my city. God has blessed us with a backyard and a few years ago, someone gave us a pool. We used it for a year until the pump died and we didn’t have the money to fix it, so we took the pool down and stored it up in the attic. We left it there for three years, until just a few days ago. My children had been begging for me to get the pool down and set it up. Every day they would ask me. They have had a difficult year (as I write quarantines are slowly being lifted in reference to the COVID crisis), and I want to give them something. I really do. As their father, I want to bless them and I want to give them the pool. I want them to have fun, be kids, play with each other, and experience the joy that kids can have in summer. They asked and I delighted in giving it to them because I love them. So, I got the pool down, set it up, and am looking for a pump today so that they can have fun and play.

 

Since we are made in the image of God, there are aspects of God’s person that are present in us. God delights in giving us good gifts—things that increase our joy in God. I don’t want to get too theological, but God is not a robot—He, in a mystery that I cannot quite grasp, has emotion. He is and has love, He is benevolent or good to us, and desires to bless us with the things that put a smile on our face while at the same time, puts a smile on His own (not things that are sinful or selfish, but good things that help enable us to look at Him and acknowledge how cool and great God is). That’s why we ask—that’s why we knock. That’s why we dare to climb the steps to God’s house, and lift up our hands, make a fist and knock at God’s door. He desires to connect. He desires to reveal and show His love. He did it supremely in Jesus. He will show love to you today—but you need to knock and ask. And He will answer.