Matthew 7:7-11 / Approach the Father with confidence
When I was in High School, I worked as a waiter at a local down-home, country style restaurant. There were many unique characters who worked alongside me, one of them being the “soda jerk” named Richard. With Richard, you never truly knew what you were going to get when you approached him with an order. Sometimes you’d ask for a shake and he’d make a witty joke and serve it with a smile, other times he’d yell at you and say, “get out of here, I’ll get to it when I can!” Although Richard really was a softie on the inside, his prickly exterior made him scary to approach at times.
In Matthew 7, Jesus was taking time to teach his disciples about God’s character and how to walk with Him and he said this:
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are 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!
When I think back on my restaurant days and I think of Richard, I realize that his unpredictable mood made me timid to approach him. His inconsistency led to fear. But in our section of Scripture here, as Jesus was training his disciples (and us now) on how to approach God, one thing sticks out – We can approach Him with confidence, because He is good.
He is good! God always has your best intentions in mind. He loves you! He loves you with a perfect love, one with no selfishness, pride, or mistakes. Unlike our earthly fathers who mess up sometimes, withholding good when it should be given and giving when it should be held back – God loves and gives perfectly.
Because God is good and consistent and perfect in His love for us, we can ask, seek, and knock, trusting that the response we get from Him is always going to be the best one for us. So, as you go throughout your week, practice asking with confidence. Approach God boldly; ask for big things! If it is what is best for you – He will give it – because He loves you.
And if you struggle to believe in the goodness of God, through past experiences or relationships that were not trustworthy or good – that might be your first thing to ask God for; asking Him to help you trust again! Ask Him to help you see and experience His goodness. Ask for the confidence to approach His throne room in prayer, with boldness.
What a good Father we have!
Blessings,
Pastor Dave
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