ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE!
Thursday of the First Week of Lent
My dear encountered couples:
“Ask and you will receive,” Jesus tells us. And then goes on to explain that as a father would never answer his son’s request by giving him something harmful, God will never give us anything but good when we pray to him. What is it Jesus is saying?
You and I pray to our Father in heaven. We ask for health, wealth, a peaceful life, and a lot of happy things. Do we get exactly what we ask for? Sometimes. Sometimes not. We might get cancer, get into so much debt we can’t see our way out, something happens that makes it impossible for us to enjoy any semblance of tranquility, and we most certainly get our share of other unhappy happenings. Is it that Jesus is not exactly being honest with us when he says, “Ask and you will receive?” Not at all.
Jesus knew we would be wondering why our asking is not always answered as we specify. And that is why he went on to explain his statement further: “Would one of you hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf, or a poisonous snake when he asks for a fish? If you, with all your sins, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to anyone who asks him!”
When we pray with faith and trust in God, and ask him for something, whatever it is we receive is good for us. God will give us nothing but good, in fact, nothing but what is best for us. When we find ourselves in eternity we will understand fully that all that God ever gave us in answer to our prayers was much better for us than anything we ever asked for.
So ask him, every day and often, for anything you want, and I assure you, you will receive nothing but the best.
