If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Luke 11:13 KJV
Looking at today's extract, the context was about the disciples seeing the example of Jesus praying and wanting to learn the secret to the power He expressed. They had seen Him at work and knew that there was something different about Him. When men come in contact with me, what is the lasting impression: am I someone who is seen as surely been with Jesus, or is all about noise, effects and no substance?
Jesus taught his disciples a model of prayer, one we call the Lord's prayer today. Deep lessons there, but Jesus goes on to give a practical example of the power of prayer. A friend comes to another friend in the middle of the night, seeking bread to offer his friend. Even though it is night, and his family is asleep, yet because his friend is persistent, as he has nowhere else to go, he will get up and give him all he needs, so he does not return to trouble him. If this is the human standard, just how high do we think God's standard is?
God's standard is made clear: ASK, SEEK, KNOCK. These are active verbs, taking me out of my comfort zone and demanding I take action in line with what I want. He promises that what I get will line up with what I do. If I don't take action, how can I demand results? If I do nothing, how would I expect anything? His promise is that all who ASK will RECEIVE; all who SEEK will FIND; and all who KNOCK will have the door opened to them. Just like the paragraph above, you don't do it once and go to sleep; you keep at it, not because God is deaf, blind or insensitive, but because He is a Father who honours desire and consistency. If I do something only once and abandon it, how does God trust I won't just give in and give up at the first sign of trouble? If I do not know the treasure that is hidden in the knowledge of God, how would I seek Him out like precious treasure? If I do not know the amazing blessings that a personal knowledge and experience of God can bring me, why would I persist in knocking?
And the clincher: if I as a mortal man, weak and imperfect, know how to give good gifts to my own children; if I can love them despite their imperfections and limitations, how much more do i think that the heavenly Father, the One called Love, will give his own children all that they need for life and Godliness? The Holy Spirit is the Presence of God in a life, and He is the seal of redemption for all who look forward to the eternal salvation of our souls. Everywhere you turn to in Scripture, it is clear that God wants to have a personal relationship with us, if only we will let Him. He wants to come in and make a change in us. He wants to seal us for eternal life. None of these things will be possible if we do not submit to Him and allow His Spirit live and work in us. He won't force Himself on us, but when you consider the permanence of eternity, and the fact that you cannot change it once it rolls in, you just have to be sure. The Holy Spirit is proof of God's Presence; do I have Him? His time of favour is here.
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