Ask Seek Knock

Pray means to ask…and that’s what we should, do. Pray without ceasing…

But the second part is to seek and knock…that means, you, have to do something…it’s great to ask, but we also have to put action to our prayers…

There was a conversation I heard recently and the person said they were praying and asking God to help them to get out of debt. Another person told them the story about the rowboat, the motorboat, and the helicopter…

A man was on a roof because of a flood the waters were getting higher and higher. The man prayed, “God save me.” So a rowboat came by, but the man said, “Its ok God is going to save me.”

Then a motorboat came by. “The man said, “Its ok God is going to save me.”

The water was climbing and was up to the roof… “God save me.”

So a helicopter came by, the man shouted, “Its ok, God is going to save me.”

The man drowns. He gets to heaven and says “God why didn’t you save me?” God said, “I sent a rowboat, a motorboat and a helicopter!”

So the guy I heard telling this story, said the guy that wanted to get out of debt said, “That story is not biblical!”

This guy is surely going to drown, get to heaven and God is going to say… “I answered your prayer but you said it wasn’t biblical; you should have listened to the story?”

Is being in debt biblical?

We are constantly learning life lessons. Some lessons are more severe than others. We want to have a stress-free life; have lots of money and “stuff.” We want the best ministry, the biggest church, and the best home. We want the smartest, brightest and most attractive kids. We want to be praised and be famous and liked by everyone…we want all of our prayers to be answered now, not later…is it biblical?

Jesus did say he came to give us life, an abundant life. He came to give us peace and joy and love and hope and faith. But not so we could flaunt it or be prideful! It’s not about being poor or rich…in debt or debt-free! It’s all about the heart!

Pride is sin, so is greed and lust and coveting…

I believe that the sin of coveting is what drives people into debt. We want the best, biggest, shiniest, most expensive, name brand what-cha-ma-call-its we can get and if we don’t have the cash we go into debt!!!

There’s nothing wrong about getting a loan or using a charge card as long as you can pay the bill when it comes. But when it becomes obsessive and you owe more than you could ever repay then you’re in a deep pit!

If we followed the biblical then we wouldn’t be in the despair of debt to begin with. I’m not saying this to cause condemnation. I’m saying this to make a point! We are human and we fail miserably many times but when we ask, then seek and knock for an answer and God sends the answer, then we are foolish and blind if we don’t pay attention and do what needs to be done.

So…

God has sent a rowboat; a motorboat; and a helicopter, today. Don’t delay, it may not be biblical but it’s the smart thing to do! Get in and get to safety!

When Jesus is the in the boat you have nothing to fear but you do have to have faith!

~Marla Shaw O’Neill October 24, 2018

John 10:9-13 The Message (MSG) Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. “I’ll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.

“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He’s only in it for the money. The sheep don’t matter to him.

Mark 4:38-40 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) Jesus was inside the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. The followers went and woke him. They said, “Teacher, don’t you care about us? We are going to drown!”

Jesus stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. He said, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and the lake became calm.

He said to his followers, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Matthew 7:7-12 New International Version (NIV) “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.

“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! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.