Waking up with laughter. The sunrise was a subtle blue, orange and yellow. I get up quite a bit before the sunrise at the moment, but even if I know the time it will be peering over the roof tops I sometimes still miss the first rays of light. I was only a few minutes out but already sun fills the sky, and then I laughed because God had filled the sky with beauty. New light fills the sky, new hope comes into the world. We are that new hope as we pray for others and for our own concerns.
Do we find ourselves at times praying like on a shopping spree? I have been told that this is not the way to pray, and I know this is truth, but I can’t help it sometimes. I just find myself praying for serious matters and then I just quickly put a prayer in for something that would seem inconceivably trivial. People are dying across the world, children are hurting here and far away, there are many things we should pray for, but my own concerns always come back to me.
Don’t our children do this?
We might want them to focus on the things that will really matter in their lives, but they only seem at times interested in the here and now, the lets have some more ice-cream whilst we are thinking about their health and putting on weight.
Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
I find it amazing that Jesus follows this passage by talking about how a father wouldn’t give a stone to their child if asked for bread, or a snake given if asked for fish. You see Jesus, being God knows how we ask in prayer and how we want good things in life and he doesn’t want us to be unhappy. I can’t imagine asking my children “what would you like for dinner?” and they jumping around in excitement for their favourite food, pasta, and then preparing for them grass soup or something very similar. As parents we want our children to have the things that make them not just happy, but feel loved beyond any immediate need. If I am out with my children and they ask for something in a shop, I usually end up getting them more. So would any parent. This is not spoiling your children, or if it is then I and many others are guilty of this, but this is what this passage screams out at me. God wants to spoil us.
Now let me just say, I am not saying that if you love God then you will get rich and all that prosperity gospel talk. For I believe that there are many trials ahead, and my children will face many trials. But every time my children come back to their parents in need of help, in need of love, and need of advice, I pray to God I shall be there for them. I feel this is how God feels. Yes He has His plan, but He likes to give us enough love to keep us going on some occasions, and on others He likes to smoother us with love. So much so that we are almost laughing with the joy of God.
God gives us hope.
He emphasises this point again and again. If you read the passage again you will see Jesus repeats the phrase in a slightly different way, and then he tells stories to make that even clearer. Do not be afraid to ask, to seek and to knock, for God is only waiting there ready to lead us to the next part of the glorious adventure he has planned out for us.
Dear Lord, you gave me the joy of laughter this morning, let me offer my joy everyday up to you for the service of others.
Amen
365 Exhortations 