Pursue and Knock

 

 “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." Matthew 7:7-8


Many times I've heard someone knocking on our door unexpectedly. I don't want to answer when I'm in my pajamas, have a face mask on, or it's inconvenient because I'm giving the kids a bath. Or I just don't want to deal with a salesman at the door! So sometimes, I ignore it if it isn't urgent. Eventually, the person on the other side of the door gives up and goes away.

I think many times God "knocks" on our door and we ignore Him. We think it's not urgent, or we are afraid of what might happen if we answer His call. We want Him to go away. We block out His gentle knocking, until He tries again. God never "breaks and enters." He has given us free will, and though He is persistent, He waits for us to answer His knock, and He waits for ours.

Jesus is telling us in the above scripture to be determined in pursuing God. The one who seeks FINDS. The one who knocks, the door WILL be opened.  When we pursue God, we start out seeking, and finding God. But many times we stop at the seeking and finding phase. We've found God, but now after a few half hearted attempts we seem to determine He is not as great as we thought. Or that maybe He isn't worth changing ourselves for which requires work. So we go on living our life, believing that Jesus died on the cross for us, but let's not change our life too much because of it. Maybe we aren't realizing that it was us who decided He isn't that great. That we couldn't find the determination within ourselves to pursue Him?

The real key in this scripture is OUR knocking. Notice that God carefully worded this. After He tells us that the one who seeks finds, there is another step after that. THEN those who knock at the door will have the door opened to them. So we have sought God, found Him, and then we are to take the extra step and pursue Him and knock on His door. The relationship is mutual. He wants us to want to love Him and pursue Him.

To pursue God with our whole heart and knock on His door daily takes faith, follow through, determination, and patience. It is a daily decision to pursue God and walk with Him. It takes daily prayer to ask Jesus to give us all of the above in abundance to seek Him. Each morning we rise, we make a decision that today we will knock on God's door. Today we will listen, today we will follow. We are promised that because we knocked, the door will be opened. That is a promise of God. He doesn't tell us the door "might" be opened. He says the door will be opened to you. God never breaks His word.

In Revelation 3:20 God tell us ^"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."

Again we have another promise from God! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will eat with that person and they with me. There again we are to take the next step. We hear God's voice, but then we take the step of opening the door to His voice and instruction. Our relationship with God seems to be based a lot on our own actions doesn't it? Our actions are pursuing God, knocking on His door, and when we hear Him knocking on ours, opening it.


 "They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it." 1 Peter 3:11

Again in Peter we are given two steps. A seeking step and an action step. We must seek peace but we must not stop there, we must then pursue peace.  God expects action on our part. He says, pursue me, knock at MY door.
 
The scriptures we have read above give us a beautiful example of a mutual relationship with God. One tells us that we are to seek, find and then knock. The other tells us that He is standing and knocking and that we are to open the door. He knocks at our door, but we also knock at His. And God then tells us "I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." When we pursue that mutual relationship with God, we will eat with Him together and share His bread of life. The door will be opened to us, and we will partake in His love with Him and get to know Him as a beloved friend.

If you are struggling, or feel God is silent, keep pursuing! If it takes the last ounce of persistence you have, do it and knock at God's door. He will knock back at yours with His still, quiet voice. Remember His promise, He will open the door. I've been there and I know God's promise is true. The door was opened to me, and it will be opened to you.

Prayer: Lord, help me to have ears that are sensitive and attuned to your knocking and give me the wisdom to respond. Give me persistence to knock at your door each day and to know that your door will be opened to me. Help me to remember that when I ask, I will receive. Help me to pursue you.


 "They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it." 1 Peter 3:11

"Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." Psalm 34:14

"The Lord detests the way of the wicked, but he loves those who pursue righteousness." Proverbs 15:9

"Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor." Proverbs 21:21

"Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." 2 Timothy 2:22




May God's peace and wisdom be with you as you build your own wall of God's truth.