I Am Blessed 4

Luke 11:9-10

I will never forget the time we were all sitting at the dinner table enjoying a meal when I noticed our son was visibly upset. I asked what was wrong.

“I didn’t get any potatoes,” he said.

“Did you ask for them?” I wondered.

“No.”

The food was all there. My wife and I had prepared the meal and we wanted everyone to have all the food that was set out, but in that confused time of food being passed the potatoes had not made it all the way around the table. No one was hoarding them, and nothing was being denied anyone. My child just needed to ask for what he wanted.

What instructions does Jesus give? What are the results when we ask, seek or knock?

We may not have everything our hearts desire. We may not each possess the wealth and influence that some people have. But the blessings of a deep, rich relationship with God are available to all of us. There are times, however, when we need to seek them.

So often, people can look at life as being filled with blessings that are denied them. They may perceive that life is difficult and challenging because, for some reason, God is withholding blessings. But in truth, God wants to bless us. He wants us to have good things and goodness in our lives.

We need to be cautious so that we do not fall into the misconception that God is a magical being ready to dispense whatever we want. It would be selfish and erroneous for us to turn to God and treat him like a genie in a bottle – “Give me money.” “Give me power.” “Make me beautiful.”

Instead we should seek the blessings of God by seeking a right relationship with the Almighty. God indeed wishes to bless us. We must first see the blessings we have in our lives. Then we must seek the blessings that God wants to give us, realizing that these blessings may be different than what we may value from our human perspective, things that meet selfish drives.

The blessings from God are more appropriate and more wonderful than the materialistic blessings we may desire. We must seek them, ask for them, by striving to be obedient to God and by striving to grow stronger in our faith and our relationship with God.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you ask, seek and knock with the goal of receiving God’s blessings?