Reading in Matthew 7 today I came across the familar passage in which Jesus says, "Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door shall be opened to you..."
I wonder if these three commands indicate a progression. First we ask God for something. We just ask. Then we seek it out. We get going, looking, pursuing. And when we find it, we knock, expecting it to open. We begin passively and get more aggressive at each step.
Of the three commands, only one can be fulfilled through our own effort. We can seek and find on our own. The first and last commands require someone else to act. We can ask, but someone must respond if we are to receive. We can knock, but someone else must open the door.
The process begins with God's gracious answer and ends with God providing opportunity.
I need to start asking. I need to seek what he wants me to find. I need to knock at the right doors. God eagerly desires to pour out his blessings. I need to ask, seek and knock.
