Today’s passage: Matthew 7:7-14
Helpful thoughts:
- Jesus invites us to ask, seek and knock.
- James 1:17 – Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
- Verse 12 -The Golden Rule- is another way to say, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:29 – The 2nd greatest commandment)
- Since God is our Father and we know He will never fail to give us what is best for us, we are free to selflessly love others.
- “Entering” the gate of your choice requires action and results in also choosing a “way”. If you are not actively pursuing the narrow gate and the narrow way, then you are actively pursuing the wide gate and the way that leads to destruction.
- “Those who find it are few” is a phrase that points to diligence.
- Jeremiah 29:13 – You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
- It takes effort and concentration to get to know someone well and grow close to them…a relationship with Jesus is not for the lazy and half-hearted.
Questions to consider:
- How might a person look at the promises in verses 7-8 think that God has failed? Do these verses teach us that God will give us whatever we want? Does God withhold what is best for us?
- If God doesn’t withhold what is best for us, then how might our thinking, attitude or desires need to change?
- Why is the effort to know and follow Christ totally worth it? (And remember, your salvation is totally provided for in Christ! You aren’t earning or paying back any of your salvation through your efforts…)