Today’s Podcast
Today’s Bible reading plan:
Read it in a year – Psalms 125-127
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Luke 11:9-10
Jesus So listen: Keep on asking, and you will receive. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened for you. All who keep asking will receive, all who keep seeking will find, and doors will open to those who keep knocking.
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
Aren’t those great words from Jesus we’re considering today? Keep asking and you’ll receive. Keep seeking, and you’ll find. Keep knocking and the door will be opened for you. Just keep on and it will happen for you. Be persistent.
We have a problem in today’s society, though. We have too many fast food restaurants. We have get too many television channels. We have 24 screen movie theaters. We have 300 mega bit per second download service at home. We have interstates with 70 and 75 mile per hour speed limits. We fly across the country in jets traveling at near super sonic speeds. We have meals ready to pop in the microwave and whole sections at the grocery with vegetables and fruits already pealed and sliced for us. Our cars even start before we get to them and the doors unlock a few feet before our arrival so we don’t have to worry about fussing with keys. Everything is instant.
We want what we want now. I can’t wait until tomorrow. I need it now. Amazon has made a fortune because they can deliver anything in two days. Even on Saturday and Sunday thanks to UPS and the Post Office agreeing to our unreasonable demands for instant delivery of those things we just have to have now. We are an incredible society, aren’t we? What ever happened to patience? Isn’t that one of those virtues we’re supposed to be developing as Christians?
God, you mean I have to ask twice, or even three times for something? You mean I have to look in more than one place for the thing I’m seeking from you? You mean I might have to wait for the blessings you want to give me? I don’t know about this. I don’t know if I’m ready for this faith thing that says I have to be patient and wait on God’s timing. How do I know He’ll answer if He doesn’t answer my prayers right now? Doesn’t He know I have a life I need to get on with? I don’t need to be wasting my time asking twice or three times for the same thing, do I?
How much do we miss because of our impatience? What does God want to do for us that we let slip past us because we are just not willing to spend the time and effort persistently seeking God’s will and going to Him in prayer seeking His will? What opportunities go untouched because we just don’t slow down enough to see them or pull the door handle once and find it closed and never try the door again?
Jesus told us to ask and keep on asking. He told us to seek and keep on seeking. He told us to knock and keep on knocking. How long are we supposed to keep up those efforts? Until our prayers are answered. Sometimes God does say no, but so often in our Google search, instant answer world, if He doesn’t give us what we asked for within ten minutes of our prayer, we assume the answer is no when God hasn’t answered yet.
Sometimes God takes His time answering and we don’t like that much, but God’s time is perfect. Sometimes He does say no, but sometimes, He says yes, but on His timeline, not ours. Remember time means nothing to God. He existed before time began and that wristwatch you wear means nothing to Him. His days are not measured in minutes and hours and days. His time expands across eternity and just can’t be measured in any way.
So if God waits a day or a week or a month or a year to answer your prayer, what’s that to Him in terms of time? It means nothing to Him, only to us. He still cares, but sometimes He uses that space that that we measure by the ticking of the clock to help us get to know Him and ourselves a little better. Sometimes He lets us mature and understand His ways a little more before He gives us what we ask for our lets us find what we are looking for or opens that door we’re knocking on.
However, the promise is still true. God does answer our prayers. Keep on asking, and you will receive. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened for you. All who keep asking will receive, all who keep seeking will find, and doors will open to those who keep knocking. Jesus made that promise to His disciples and if you belong to Him, you are one of His disciples.
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