Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?If you then, being 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!
Matthew 7:9-11
Two main points emerge from these verses. The first is this—God is our provider. He gives us good things. James expounds on this thought by saying “every good and perfect gift comes from above.” (James 1:17)
When we pray, may we be reminded that God is our provider and sustainer. He is Jehovah Jireh, God our Provider. (Genesis 22:14) We can trust Him to meet our needs.
Also, God knows what we need more fully than we do. God knows us better than we know ourselves and He knows how to give us what we need.
We ought to be thankful for this aspect of God’s provision. Often, we do not know what is best for us. And I’m glad that God withholds what we think we want in order to give us what is best.
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
Acts 4:13
Living for Jesus is the best life one can live. It’s not the easiest life. Yet, it is always leads to purpose and peace.
The Apostles spoke boldly because they had been with Jesus. Walking with Christ produces traits in the child of God that are noticeable and factual. What are some of these benefits of living for the Savior?
*Humility—those who live for Jesus exhibit humility in their speech and actions.
*Happiness—the blessings of the Lord fall upon those who obey Him which produces joy unspeakable.
**Holiness—Christians who have truly been with Christ will exemplify holiness in their daily walk and labors.
All in all, Child of God, you can’t go wrong by being with Jesus!
For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Matthew 7:8
Jesus’ teaching on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount is memorable and informative. Matthew 7:8 gives us hope that God will not abandon us in our prayers. The Lord hears and He will answer in His way and in His time.
As Christians, we should pray persistently. Let’s be honest. If we don’t hear from God almost immediately in prayer we tend to give up. Some things take time and patience and that is especially true as we pray.
Jesus promises us an answer in verse 8 of this chapter. Sometimes the answer will be no or wait. But, you can’t trust that He will answer when the time is right and when we are right.
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Matthew 7:7
Most Christians truly desire to have a thriving, growing prayer life. We want to pray and we hope to pray well.
If were honest, though, most Christians also admit that while we want to pray well we often do not pray effectively at all. We are not experiencing true growth and power in our prayers. The desire is to pray is real, but, the practical growth is non-existent. What can we do?
Jesus instructs us in prayer in this verse once again. May we heed His words and apply them to our prayer times. Listen to these practical instructions and pray well my friend.
Jesus commands us to pray fervently. When we pray, may we pray with a sense of urgency. Too often our prayers lack urgency and strength. We say our prayers perfunctorily and half-heartedly. No wonder we do not have power in prayer.
As you pray, pray believing that God can. He might not do everything you want, but, continue praying knowing that “with God all things are possible.” (Luke 1:37)
Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house.
1 Samuel 11:1-4
This passage of Scripture is a case study on human sinfulness and how temptation works. David was a good and Godly man and yet, he succumbed to temptation and committed adultery and later murder (see 1 Samuel 11:5-27 for the sordid tale). If it can happen to him, then, it can happen to any of us. What can we learn from this story? How can we learn to overcome temptation?
First, don’t entertain temptation. Avoid it all cost. When it tries to seize you, run away from it. (1 Corinthians 6:8) David saw the bathing woman, Bathsheba. But, instead of turning away, he gazed and entertained the thoughts of temptation. Do not dwell on temptation. Run from it!
Also, guard your eyes. David saw and gazed and then began to lust after her. In our day and time, our eyes are now exposed to some of the most provocative images any generation has had to endure. Images of filth and depravity are all around us. May we covenant with God to guard our eyes and not look upon those things that are displeasing to God. (Job 31:1) Just remember, looking leads to longing which leads to lusting.
Finally, pray and study God’s Word. Pray for strength to endure and to resist temptation. Fill your mind with the things of God and His Word. (Philippians 4:8-9) Remember that sin has is it consequence and that we reap what we sow. (Galatians 6:7-8) May we take God’s command seriously to “Be holy, for I am holy.” (I Peter 1:16)
Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.
Matthew 7:6
Finally, we are to be guardians of the truth. Do not allow the holy things to be treated as cheap and unholy. May we protect the truth at all cost.
Essentially, there is a right time and a wrong time to share and help. If someone is not willing to be helped, perhaps it’s better to wait. If someone is not ready to receive truth and help, perhaps trying to help them in that condition can do more harm than good.
We have been entrusted with a precious truth. May we protect it and share it carefully.
Ultimately, Matthew 7:1-6 teaches us the following principle; don’t be a hypocrite. Deal with your own sin, shortcomings, and hang-ups before you try to help others.
Pray for your own authenticity. Examine yourself often as hypocrisy often creeps up on us without us noticing it. Hold to the truth and share it as God leads and provides opportunity.
Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Matthew 7:5
Jesus took particular offense to hypocrisy in the Scriptures. Our Savior specifically called out those who pretended to be something they are not. All of us are vulnerable to adopting a “do as I say, not as I do” mentality. What are we to do?
Later in the chapter, we see the antidote to hypocrisy. Be authentic! Deal with your own issues. Don’t seek to help others when you have open sinfulness in your life. Don’t pretend you are something you are not but repent, confess, be forgiven, and seek to follow Christ.
When we are honest about our struggles, we gain credibility with those around us. Also, true genuineness will help us earn an audience with those who need the gospel message and with fellow Christians.
When we have dealt with our own issues, we are then better equipped to point others to the truth. We are to love others enough to tell them the truth. Let’s not let anything get in the way of being loving truth bearers in our age of confusion, especially our own hypocrisy.
mrtonyfrench 