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In The Garden Daily Devotional
Series: A Walk Through Matthew (Mathew 7)
Jesus The Teacher - Pt 3
"7 / Eleven"
Pastor Wayne Clabaugh
Scripture Reading: Matthew 7: 7-11
Scripture Text:"If
ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts
unto your children, how much more shall your
Father which is in heaven give good things to
them that ask him?"
Matt 7:11 (KJV)
I'm not even sure there is a 7 / Eleven Store in
existence anymore, but I can remember some 40 years
ago that the 7 / Eleven was one of the very first
"convenient" stores to make a splash in the
"quick-stop" market category.
Merging a gas
station with a grocery store - you could get
everything there! Why, they even had elements of
a department store, drug store and more.
I never noticed it before this series, but our
Scripture passage falls somewhat into the same
category on a "spiritual" plane - and it spans
from verse 7 to 11: "interesting"... to say the
least.
Matthew 7:7-11
is a unique passage in that it speaks
of that all- encompassing "faith-stop" that fills
you up, gives you strength, and keeps you going
all day through. What's more... you don't have
to get into the car and drive to it - you take
it with you wherever you go.
Look at those verses with me real quickly if you will.
Mat 7:7 says "Ask and it shall be given you".
We're
speaking of prayer here. We're speaking of asking God for
such things as are "needed",
such as food, clothing and shelter. Yet, it speaks of such things that
are of a "spiritual nature as well - such as
grace and wisdom to live as He would have us to
live - towards God, as well as man. It is knowing that
those who ask according to the will of God, and
in the name of Christ - under the direction,
guidance, and influence of the Spirit: asking
"in
faith" and with submission to the Divine will,
shall have what they ask for; not because
they deserve it, but as a free gift. "For everyone that asketh receiveth".
But there is a second element
to
asking. it says there in verse 7: "Seek, and ye shall find".
How do you seek God? We come to Him in the Name
of Jesus - by His Spirit - which suggests
prayer. You cannot seek God's favor unless you
do so on His terms. And ALL who come to Him in a
right way - diligently, and with their whole
hear, shall find God. Proverbs 21:21 tells us:
"He that followeth after righteousness and mercy
findeth life, righteousness, and honour."
Verse 8 tells
us that, "...he that seeketh findeth".
So, what do we find when we seek Christ? We find
Life, righteousness and honor. We find the
grace
and mercy of God, the kingdom of God, and
His
righteousness. We find the Favor of God. (ref.,
Matthew 7:11)
Lastly the 7th verse tells us to "knock and it
shall be opened unto you".
Are you getting the Divine infrastructure of these verses
and how they are all-encompassing to our faith?
When you come to God's Storehouse - asking for
something out of need, He's got it - and He has
your Name on it, but you can't "buy it". You've got
to ASK God for it... which puts you in a position
of "seeking" God. What follows after is
what? Life and righteousness; mercy and honor.
Now, all the "Earthly" convenient stores want is your money.
What God wants is for you to have life and to
have it more abundantly (ref., John 10:10)
HOW? Through His FREE GIFTS
of GRACE AND MERCY, FAVOR AND HONOR. WOW! TALK
ABOUT CLIPPING COUPONS!
Now you're ready to exit God's Storehouse
through that "door of mercy" - but you have to
apply that final principal of "knocking". Why is
that important? Why couldn't we just have
stopped at the asking and seeking and just call
it done?
Just like any other store on Earth, you can't
just go
in with your shopping list of wants and needs and just load them
all into the shopping cart and walk out the
store. There has to be a medium of exchange. You
have to deal with a representative of that
company that will okay you to leave the store
after you have satisfied their medium of
exchange. You obtain that permission by surrendering to them a certain amount
of money. Once you have surrendered to them
their required medium of exchange, you then have faith in that
representative that they're going to let you walk out
of the store with all of your items. Works
pretty smoothly. You even get a written promise
from the store that the transaction has been
made for all time and eternity. The "stuff'" is
yours.
Well, do I need
to tell you that our medium of exchange is Jesus, and
that nothing is done in the spiritual realm accept
through surrender to him - not at a cash register, but
at the mercy seat - which is the Cross of Calvary?
That's what the Knocking is all about.
Men who have need of God need "stand and knock" at that door of mercy. For in so doing,
they are surrendering their "Faith in prayer" as
"the key" that opens the door to that "constant"
throne of grace, (Hallelujah!) and he who "continues knocking"
at the door of mercy will have no denial, it
shall be always opened to him; and he shall have
entrance into the holiest of all by the blood of
Jesus. "...and to him that knocketh it shall be
opened." Matthew 7:8
That doesn't
mean that you just stand there and knock and knock until
you get an answer. God is not only willing but ready to
forgive. For "whosoever calleth upon the Name of the
Lord shall be saved". (ref., Romans 10:13) It means
that you know the place you must approach whenever the
need arises. It is constant and continuous as
long as you apply it to your life through faith in
Christ.
But verse 11 says it all...
"If ye then
being evil," (As all mankind in general are,
both by nature and practice: conceived in sin, shapen in iniquity and transgressors from the
womb) "...know how to give good gifts unto your
children" (having it in the love of your heart
to do so and power of your hands to provide for
the support and sustenance of your children),
"...how much more shall your Father, which is in
heaven" (omniscient, omnipotent; knowing his
children and what is proper for them) "...give
good things to them that ask him?"
Jesus is your 7 / Eleven my friend. Instead of
looking for help from friends and relatives who
really can't give you what you really need
anyway, come to Jesus and let Him build your
faith as you learn the greatest lesson in life...
A Simple Trust in God.
Let's pray:
Father: I come
to you today with a simple trust in You alone. Teach me
that I can, through faith in Your Word and the constant
application of that WORD in my life - experience that
Abundant life you spoke of. Teach me that it all begins
with surrender Lord.. and I do that just now, In Jesus
Name I pray, Amen.
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