Ask and you shall receive. This is a very powerful statement made by Jesus in Matthew 21:22. The entire verse reads: “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive if you have faith.”
This is thought provoking even on the most superficial levels. It seems to be an unconditional statement that God will give what we have need of if we ask and have faith. It becomes even more profound if we couple it with other verses in the bible. Have you ever pondered if this verse could also be applied from you to other people on earth, or vice versa?
Combine the following 4 verses:
Genesis 1:27 - “So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God, he created him; male and female, the created them.”
1 John 3:17 - By whoever that has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart and does nothing, how does the love of God abide in him?
Acts 20:35 - ‘...And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
Colossians 3:10 - ‘and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.’
If you think about it deeply enough, God said he would grant us anything we need if we just ask. We are also supposed to put on the image of our creator when we are saved, when are a true Christian. Jesus reminds us it is better to give than to receive. 1 John also tells us that we should proactively help someone we see in need. We should not always be asked for help.
Let’s face it, when we are walking down the street, we can tell when someone is in need. They really don’t have to carry the homeless or hungry sign. They really don’t need to ask us for help. We can tell who is hungry. We also know how hard it can be to ask for help. We are human after all. Humans quite often have a difficult time asking for help.
Next time we see someone in need, maybe we should consider proactively helping them. We will do more good by volunteering the help rather than being asked for it. It will also make you feel better. 1 John also seems to tell us, it is good to not always wait to be asked. God created us in his own image. God himself said he would give to those who ask. Their faces, their situations are doing the asking for them. We can feel when someone is in need of help.
Jesus went around proactively giving help as he felt it was needed as well. Jesus was the human embodiment of God. If we are to align ourselves in his image, if we are in fact to try to live as Christians, that is “Christ-like” should we not always have to be asked?
The way I end up looking at it, even if I give someone the few dollars I have left in my wallet, because they need food, even though I may have to skip a meal, or skip that piece of cheese cake I was eye-balling at the cafe, at least I *know* I will be getting food again, because God has blessed me with the ability at that point and time to provide for myself. That person who is in need has no idea where his next meal is going to come from. We could be his next meal. After all, some day, the situation could be reversed. We may not know where our next meal is coming from, and the person crossing our path does know. He/She may be able to help us.
Lay your treasures up in Heaven folks. God will take care of us.
This is thought provoking even on the most superficial levels. It seems to be an unconditional statement that God will give what we have need of if we ask and have faith. It becomes even more profound if we couple it with other verses in the bible. Have you ever pondered if this verse could also be applied from you to other people on earth, or vice versa?
Combine the following 4 verses:
Genesis 1:27 - “So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God, he created him; male and female, the created them.”
1 John 3:17 - By whoever that has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart and does nothing, how does the love of God abide in him?
Acts 20:35 - ‘...And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
Colossians 3:10 - ‘and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.’
If you think about it deeply enough, God said he would grant us anything we need if we just ask. We are also supposed to put on the image of our creator when we are saved, when are a true Christian. Jesus reminds us it is better to give than to receive. 1 John also tells us that we should proactively help someone we see in need. We should not always be asked for help.
Let’s face it, when we are walking down the street, we can tell when someone is in need. They really don’t have to carry the homeless or hungry sign. They really don’t need to ask us for help. We can tell who is hungry. We also know how hard it can be to ask for help. We are human after all. Humans quite often have a difficult time asking for help.
Next time we see someone in need, maybe we should consider proactively helping them. We will do more good by volunteering the help rather than being asked for it. It will also make you feel better. 1 John also seems to tell us, it is good to not always wait to be asked. God created us in his own image. God himself said he would give to those who ask. Their faces, their situations are doing the asking for them. We can feel when someone is in need of help.
Jesus went around proactively giving help as he felt it was needed as well. Jesus was the human embodiment of God. If we are to align ourselves in his image, if we are in fact to try to live as Christians, that is “Christ-like” should we not always have to be asked?
The way I end up looking at it, even if I give someone the few dollars I have left in my wallet, because they need food, even though I may have to skip a meal, or skip that piece of cheese cake I was eye-balling at the cafe, at least I *know* I will be getting food again, because God has blessed me with the ability at that point and time to provide for myself. That person who is in need has no idea where his next meal is going to come from. We could be his next meal. After all, some day, the situation could be reversed. We may not know where our next meal is coming from, and the person crossing our path does know. He/She may be able to help us.
Lay your treasures up in Heaven folks. God will take care of us.
