Day 55 "The treasure of heaven is redemption and all else is just a blessing."

Day 55

Matthew 7:7-12 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

To many, this is a very familiar passage of scripture. We tend to grab hold of the promises and build areas of our lives upon them; however, when the entire context is not taken into account, we often build upon shaky ground at best. If you read this scripture by itself, your tendency would be to think that all you need to do is ask God for anything and He will blindly accommodate you. And not only will He accommodate, but He will bless you abundantly with good gifts (verses 8-11). Yes, it is true that our God desires to bless us with good things, but what are good things? Are they the things that we believe will bring us great earthly pleasure and comfort, or are they those things which will impact the Kingdom and make us a more Holy and productive people?

We must remember that God, through His word, makes it abundantly clear that those who seek earthly gain have set aside heavenly minds. Again lets look at Solomon, because he asked for wisdom (with a pure heart), only then did God give Him the treasures of this world, and if the wisest man of all time couldn’t handle it, what makes us think we can? This passage is about seeking what is right. What did Jesus say about seeking? Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” In verse 12, we see what I believe is the true meaning of this passage: “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Why does this passage begin with ‘therefore?’ Ask yourself the question, “What is it there for?” It is there to emphasize the true meaning of the prior passages: God desires that we would be a generous, giving, loving, self-sacrificing people, ones who give their best to God and His people, not their leftovers, and as we give, so shall we receive.

One of the most appalling things at the Church is unfortunately a very common practice. Often, when we put out the call for furniture, clothing, etc. for people in need, the body brings us their leftover garage-sale garbage. I have literally opened bags of clothing and found vomit on them! Am I the only one that sees something wrong with this? When we give to the Church, we are not giving to people, we are giving to God; therefore, all too many bring God their leftover trash rather than their best. Aren't we glad that God doesn't give us trash when we ask for food or judgment when we ask for forgiveness? God desires that we seek a relationship with Him based not upon what we receive in return, but rather upon who He is–our Lord, our Creator, our salvation, our hope, our God. In return, what we seek and receive will be Him, and we will find ourselves completely satisfied as a result.

Daily Prayer: Lord, help us to keep our eyes looking toward You, our ears tuned to hear Your voice, and our wills subjected to Yours. May we give as You have given, and may we be found content in You. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

"The treasure of heaven is redemption and all else is just a blessing."

Pastor Gene Burroughs