Ask, Seek, Knock!
Over the past few months I have began a morning routine that includes daily exercise and quiet time alone, due to coming to a point in my life where I was excessively tired and stressed beyond measure. The bible invites us to "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28. This has been a challenge for me due to my sedentary but hectic lifestyle, because of all the many things pulling on my life from various areas:
1. demands of being a mother, and meeting my children's needs and supporting their school activities
2. demands of being a wife, and meeting the needs of my husband and enduring all the many challenges and trials that come with the title "marriage"
3. demands of being a licensed missionary and member of a church body, and participating in all the programs and various activities that go along with being a believer
4. demands of helping a family member and her child by bringing them into our home, and facing even more unexpected, added responsibilities while insuring their needs are met
5. demands of being a teacher, with all the new rules and regulations and expectations with more students, greater work load, and less help.
During this season, the trials of life have become difficult and discouraging at times, and left me feeling broken, torn, and weary, which has led me to heed the Lords call to separate my self and draw nigh unto Him for restoration and healing. In my case, this meant the personal choice to let go of my teaching job in order to focus for a time on myself, family, and personal spiritual growth (but for you it may simply mean going for a drive alone, walking on the beach alone, or staying in a hotel alone, etc. for some much needed quiet meditation and rest). During this particular morning I began to think about the scripture verse that declares "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: '' Matthew 7:7. And, as I meditated on this one scripture, I began to think about this verse in a new way. First, ASK - Go to the Lord, and inquire of Him for an answer concerning your situation, and His directions, His wisdom, and for greater understanding of His word and His will for your life. Secondly, SEEK - study the word of God for direction and enlightenment. The bible says "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. " 2 Timothy 2:15. Also, reach out to others in your community, online, local libraries, church, etc. for more information concerning your particular need or desire as the Lord leads you. Finally, Knock - Take action on what you have learned, and hear the Lord beckoning you to do next concerning this particular issue, while remaining humble, content, and with a servant's heart to stop along the way to encourage or help someone else along on this life's journey as well. As we continue in faith to seek the face of the Lord, and to obediently obey His instructions, with the right attitude, we shall find true peace and the answer to our question, and we may be surprised along the way that He just might meet our needs in an unexpected but most welcome way!
When I began this daily time of exercise and quiet time alone with God, it was difficult, because of my desire to just wallow in my self pity and tiredness, and I had no desire or push to move forth because of flesh, being hurt and disappointed too many times and by too many people. However, I praise God on this morning for victory, and a renewed faith and hope that everything will be alright as long as I have Jesus in my life and I don't quit. I started out barely able to walk a short distance without pain and honestly wanting to give up, but each day the distance I can walk has increased and so has my motivation. There is still no apparent change on the outside that I or others can see (such as excessive weight loss), however I know deep, down on the inside that a change has come. My strength has been restored and my endurance has been built up one step at a time, one day at a time, from walking 1 lap, to walking 2 laps, and finally running. After thinking about it for a week or more, that I felt like running, I did just that on today. I finally set aside my fears that I couldn't do it and concerns of others seeing me look silly, and just began to run, and you know what, it felt great while painful and difficult at the same time, but mainly thrilling because I knew I was now moving into another level or dimension of my training. Today, I began to walk a little and then run a little, as I felt prompted, and I am looking forward with expectation to the day when I can run the entire way once again, as I did in my youth as a track member. But more importantly is the understanding that just as I had to take small steps, endure the pain and press on inspite of how I felt, I must do the same, and even more, in this walk with Christ as his vessel, his mouthpiece, his anointed, and called out child, a member of the royal priesthood, and though I may falter I must never quit, and so it is with you too! I encourage you on today, don't quit, keep going, keep fighting (even if you have to seperate for a season to regroup), and most importantly don't look back, but look to the hills from whence cometh your help, endure the pain as a good soldier because the battle has already been won, and although your situation may still look bad on the outside and others may talk about you, know within yourself that you are being built up in the Lord! "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)
1. demands of being a mother, and meeting my children's needs and supporting their school activities
2. demands of being a wife, and meeting the needs of my husband and enduring all the many challenges and trials that come with the title "marriage"
3. demands of being a licensed missionary and member of a church body, and participating in all the programs and various activities that go along with being a believer
4. demands of helping a family member and her child by bringing them into our home, and facing even more unexpected, added responsibilities while insuring their needs are met
5. demands of being a teacher, with all the new rules and regulations and expectations with more students, greater work load, and less help.
During this season, the trials of life have become difficult and discouraging at times, and left me feeling broken, torn, and weary, which has led me to heed the Lords call to separate my self and draw nigh unto Him for restoration and healing. In my case, this meant the personal choice to let go of my teaching job in order to focus for a time on myself, family, and personal spiritual growth (but for you it may simply mean going for a drive alone, walking on the beach alone, or staying in a hotel alone, etc. for some much needed quiet meditation and rest). During this particular morning I began to think about the scripture verse that declares "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: '' Matthew 7:7. And, as I meditated on this one scripture, I began to think about this verse in a new way. First, ASK - Go to the Lord, and inquire of Him for an answer concerning your situation, and His directions, His wisdom, and for greater understanding of His word and His will for your life. Secondly, SEEK - study the word of God for direction and enlightenment. The bible says "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. " 2 Timothy 2:15. Also, reach out to others in your community, online, local libraries, church, etc. for more information concerning your particular need or desire as the Lord leads you. Finally, Knock - Take action on what you have learned, and hear the Lord beckoning you to do next concerning this particular issue, while remaining humble, content, and with a servant's heart to stop along the way to encourage or help someone else along on this life's journey as well. As we continue in faith to seek the face of the Lord, and to obediently obey His instructions, with the right attitude, we shall find true peace and the answer to our question, and we may be surprised along the way that He just might meet our needs in an unexpected but most welcome way!
When I began this daily time of exercise and quiet time alone with God, it was difficult, because of my desire to just wallow in my self pity and tiredness, and I had no desire or push to move forth because of flesh, being hurt and disappointed too many times and by too many people. However, I praise God on this morning for victory, and a renewed faith and hope that everything will be alright as long as I have Jesus in my life and I don't quit. I started out barely able to walk a short distance without pain and honestly wanting to give up, but each day the distance I can walk has increased and so has my motivation. There is still no apparent change on the outside that I or others can see (such as excessive weight loss), however I know deep, down on the inside that a change has come. My strength has been restored and my endurance has been built up one step at a time, one day at a time, from walking 1 lap, to walking 2 laps, and finally running. After thinking about it for a week or more, that I felt like running, I did just that on today. I finally set aside my fears that I couldn't do it and concerns of others seeing me look silly, and just began to run, and you know what, it felt great while painful and difficult at the same time, but mainly thrilling because I knew I was now moving into another level or dimension of my training. Today, I began to walk a little and then run a little, as I felt prompted, and I am looking forward with expectation to the day when I can run the entire way once again, as I did in my youth as a track member. But more importantly is the understanding that just as I had to take small steps, endure the pain and press on inspite of how I felt, I must do the same, and even more, in this walk with Christ as his vessel, his mouthpiece, his anointed, and called out child, a member of the royal priesthood, and though I may falter I must never quit, and so it is with you too! I encourage you on today, don't quit, keep going, keep fighting (even if you have to seperate for a season to regroup), and most importantly don't look back, but look to the hills from whence cometh your help, endure the pain as a good soldier because the battle has already been won, and although your situation may still look bad on the outside and others may talk about you, know within yourself that you are being built up in the Lord! "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)
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