1st Week of Lent
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7)
“I want a puppy!” How many times have parents heard a request like that? They don’t think any less of their child for asking, but this is one request that often goes unanswered. They know that their child asks because he believes that they love him. Whether he gets that puppy or not, deep down he believes that his parents want the best for him.
That’s the kind of heartwarming faith that Jesus is encouraging in today’s Gospel. He says to us, Have faith in my goodness. Have faith that your needs and concerns matter to me too. I love you and want to give you good things. And so . . .
Ask! Ask your heavenly Father for the good things that you desire. He knows what will satisfy your heart and soul and what will draw you closer to him. He knows what you can handle and what will cause you to stumble. So ask him simply and straightforwardly from your heart. He will always answer, even if his response strikes you as mysterious or puzzling.
Seek! That’s an action verb. Go after what you want. Make a plan. Talk it over with the Lord as well as with your spouse or a trusted adviser or friend. Then work toward obtaining it. God will help you in your pursuit—or he will let you know he has something better for you. Be diligent, but also be alert to the reality that God wants your heart more than anything else. He wants a relationship with you, and he will block anything that threatens that relationship.
Knock! If a door seems closed, knock on it. Knock again. Keep on knocking. But as you do, be open to what God wants for you. He may want to redirect your desires so that you can desire his will more than yours. He may gently guide you to the things that are most necessary for your life with him. Or he just may give you exactly what you’re asking for!
God cares about everything that matters to you. So ask, seek, and knock. He will always answer.
“Father, hear the cry of my heart today. Above all that I want and need, help me to grow more in love with you.”
Esther C: 12, 14-16, 23-25
Psalm 138:1-3, 7-8
