Even though this verse is simple, it is hard to understand. Clearly, if I ask God for a million dollars, it’s not going to come plopping down in my lap from the sky. I just tried. No go.
So what did Jesus mean when He said this?
Looking closely at the wording here I notice that Jesus didn’t say, “Ask, and you will immediately get whatever you asked for.” (Or “Seek, and you will find exactly what you were looking for.” Or “Knock on any door, and that door will open up for you.”)
He said, “Ask, and it will be given to you.” There is no timeframe, and the “it” that I get isn’t specified.
The surrounding verses talk about how a good parent doesn’t give a snake to a child that asks for bread. And how God is more loving and wiser than even the best human parent.
God loves me and wants to give me good things. Things that make me strong and fill my life with joy, things that encourage me and challenge me to grow. He knows exactly what I really need.
But the thing I need the absolute most is Him. So my asking and seeking and knocking all takes place in the context of a relationship and a conversation with God.
In Jesus’s example of the good parent giving his child bread (a need), imagine instead this child walking up to a random stranger and asking for candy (a want). Do you think the child will get candy? Or maybe the stranger, if they are a decent person, will ask the child where her parents are. They may call the police about a lost child. They will take care of the child until the parent is found. Maybe she will eventually get bread and other food, maybe even some candy, but it will be a lot more involved.
In the same way, if I know God, I can ask Him for what I need, and He will provide it in the way and in the timing that is best for me. And He will talk to me about it. I know He loves me, and I can trust Him.
If I don’t know God but I ask Him for what I want, He will ask me who I am, where I belong, and why I’m asking Him. He will happily want to start a conversation with me. Maybe I will end up getting what I need from Him. Once that relationship has begun.
The asking part has everything to do with the seeking and knocking part. Am I asking for what I need from someone I know? Am I seeking to know God? Am I knocking on God’s door? God is the only one who can really provide. To get anything, He’s the one to ask and seek. And He promises to open the door and start a conversation about my wants and needs. He will freely provide the “it”, which is Himself and is all I need.
Dear God,
Thank you for being open to listening to my wants and needs. Thank you for promising to always provide what I need. Thank you for being available to open the door when I seek you. Remind me to always turn to you for what I want and need in this life. Teach me to trust that your answers and provision are always the best.
CamDevo 