Ask, Seek and Knock

Georgia Aquarium

2007

Luke 11:9 NIV

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

When I was a teenager in the 1970s, the youth at church enjoyed singing, "Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God." The first stanza went like this:

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God
And His righteousness
And all these things shall be added unto you
Hallelu, Hallelujah!

I found the melody and lyrics hypnotic and soothing. I especially loved singing it acapello around a crackling campfire with the stars shining overhead; crickets chirping in harmony. Bullfrogs adding bass in the distance. Dying logs dropping down into the fire onto others causing red sparks to fly high into the night sky above us as smoke wound above our heads heavenward in unison with our voices.

I recall those moments. I felt close to my companions. I had sought and found God then. He was in our midst. We didn't have to look anywhere else for Him.

I wish it were so easy these days to feel His presence. Then I wonder, how hard am I seeking the answers I am looking for?  How actively am I participating in my own faith walk?  Am I being accountable to God?  Or am I expecting Him to just hand the answers over to me?

In education we have a phrase called "wait time".  It refers to how long we pause to allow students to reflect on an answer before we rescue them.  I even have to keep other students from jumping in to help their peers.  Students don't realize how important wait time is. 

I think God gives me wait time to do brain work and spiritual work on my own.  I have to grow muscles.  My kids always complain how hard it is to write, and I answer it's because "you aren't used to using your brain muscle. You have to exercise it, and then it'll get easier to write."

If I'm not growing in faith, then I'm not exercising my spiritual muscles. It isn't easy to pick up a devotion book and read a chapter and answer questions. That takes some time and self-discipline.

However, I like to read, and I like to think, and I enjoy thinking about new ideas, so I only have myself to blame if I'm not disciplined enough to read the devotional books I own and work in them.

I was once asked what is my priority in life. I was told the way to find the answer was to ask myself two questions: Where do I spend my money, and where do I spend my time? 

Am I truly seeking first the kingdom of God, or am I just going through the motions?

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Dear Lord, help me to get more serious each day as I grow in my faith and my walk with you.