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Thought for the Week 19th March 2017
2. Joining Jesus in His Mission – ‘Ask’
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matt 7:7,8)
Living the life of a true follower of Jesus is impossible to achieve if we attempt to do it on our own. The world that we live in has such a powerful pull on us and our own desires are so strong that, left to ourselves, we can never become what Jesus intends, and, our lives cannot be a witness to the transforming power of Jesus.
To become a living witness to Jesus we need SUPERnatural help – that is why Jesus told his disciples, and he tells us to ‘Ask’! His promise is that ‘it will be given to you’. The ‘it’ in Jesus’ promise, is the ability to live a life that is being transformed into the likeness of Jesus – a living witness!
Jesus elaborates on His instruction to ask by saying:
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
God, the Father is longing to answer as we ‘Ask’ him. And the promise is that He will give ‘good gifts’ to those who ask him.
The phrase ‘Good gifts’ is interesting. Jesus has pointed out that even evil people give good gifts to their children so how much more will God give ‘good gifts’. The things that God will give us if we ask are ‘for our good’ He will not give us things that will harm us nor will he just give us things that we would like to have. He will give what is needed to enable us to live the life of a follower of Jesus.
This is made abundantly clear in the gospel of Luke. He records Jesus as saying:
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
The ‘Good Gift’ that God gives is the Holy Spirit! It is his presence and SUPERnatural power in our lives, not our own efforts, that leads to us being transformed and able to live the life as followers of Jesus.
This week – ask God to give you the Holy Spirit, to transform you and through you to transform others.
