Is Asking Enough?

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; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

For me when I first began trusting God completely, this verse held a lot of meaning to me. At the time I had really screwed things up, at any moment our home could have been taken from us. I clung to the promises in this verse, if I asked it would be given. So I asked and asked and asked.

God indeed saved our home, but not without me learning things along the way. At times I would fall back into the same foolish spending habits. Then a wake up call would happen; we'd fall behind and could face losing our house once again. Each of those times we'd fall to our knees asking and believing somehow God's glory would come through again. Each time He did.

During this journey I've come to learn that God isn't a genie. Sure it says here to ask and you will receive, but as we read and study further in this section it says God will give good gifts to those who ask him. What God gives is a gift, a blessing. Since we are given a gift, we need to be thankful for it. Not use it the day we receive, only to forget about it the next day.

There have been times when I've asked God, expecting to receive the gift and He said "No" or "Wait, it'll come." Last year, there was an opportunity to go on this wonderful expedition. There was one little problem or 10,000 little problems. For my husband and I to go we would need $10,000 by a certain date. I prayed, "Lord, this would be exciting and something we'd like to do, so the only way we could do this is to receive $10,000. Thanks." 

The due date came and went and as you've might have guessed, $10,000 never showed up. I guess this wouldn't have been a good gift for us.

Now on our fridge hangs a list of things we need to do or would like to have. I placed it there a few years ago not knowing when any of the things on this list would be filled. In fact, the list has hung there so long I forget it's even there. Recently, it caught my eye and I realized that all but three things have been accomplished.

These things I may have prayed for at one time or another, maybe I said "Lord, when you can." But like the list hanging there I'd forgotten I'd asked. Somehow through His great gifts He has allowed us to accomplish some of things on our list and not end up scrapping bottom to do it. I really don't know how, except God gives good gifts to his children.

As I look back, I realize all the mistakes I made. The great thing is though, through these mistakes I have learn that God will supply all our needs and even some of our wants. We just need to ask and then trust He has great plans for us.