I actually wrote this some time back, but am just now posting it. I found it while perusing Romans (thank you sista!) and thought it was very special and wanted to share. I really enjoyed "re-reading" it! I did do a little editing, but for the most part it's the original.Way to Go God!
It's a funny thing about Matthew chapter 7. I have hung on to verse 7 for a very long time, and in recent review (and knowing verse 7 by heart) verse 11 JUMPED out at me.
Shortly after I was first saved and baptized, a VERY traumatic event took place in my life. To which, I reacted with definitive hatred for God for not answering my prayers (I even tore up a Bible). "Pray God's word" the experts and theologians will tell you.... yah, that's all well and good, but you must first UNDERSTAND his word. And I'm afraid that only time, experience, and in some cases the reading of His word a couple hundred times, will give you that.
So here I am today. Many years have gone by (I'm in much better standing in the God-relationship department) and I STILL read and reread chapter 7 with a little pang in my heart. For as time has passed, and I've experienced God's truly amazing grace, I have just relented to trust Him saying to myself, "I know that he says ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and it shall be opened unto you...(Verse 7)You have experienced how all things work together for good for those who love the Lord (Romans 8:28). While you are still sad that you did not realize what you asked for, what you sought so many years ago...God has his purposes and you are just going to trust him; be grateful. He has clearly blessed you with far more than you lost." But why didn't I receive what I asked for back then? I had hung on to verse 7 for so long. Yes, I have read ALL of chapter 7.... more than once. But honestly I never really heard anything beyond verse 7 for many, many years. My wishful brain had burned that scripture into my head following that horrific and wonderfully blessed event, that I have been blinded to what His word really says only remembering how deeply I had prayed verse 7. Here is verse 11 in Matthew chapter 7. Let's see if YOU can see what I had missed for far too long. Why it's coming to light now.... hahahahaha...only God knows.
Matthew 7:11 - If you then, who are 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!
It's a funny thing about "good things" and God-only omnipotence. More times than not, we don't know if something (a decision, a person, an event) is good or bad until after we have made it through the windfall. And then after the "smoke clears" if it was good we know it was from God. If it was bad we know it wasn't, but God promises that if we stick with Him it will work together for good.
Well! A couple of things to note based on this epiphany:
A) God is DEFINITELY male.
1) When things work out right, leave it to a man to say, "Yah, I planned it that way."
2) When things go wrong, leave it to a man to say, "I can fix it."
B) You really couldn't ask for a better win-win.
1) If things go great, you're blessed.
2) If things "go to hell" you're blessed. Nice!
Sounds like God's the way to go! All these years, I put "blame" on God for me hearing only part of the message. I have spent a good many years (yes...I said that already, but it's THAT important...hahahaha) carrying this around. Oh, I've had good intentions. I realized very quickly that God was as wonderful as everyone said he was on my trip to AZ (I'll blog about that some day), but there was always just something in my heart....a little resentment I guess for not being given what I believed he promised. To find out now, that all along I was mistaken. He really did give me the good thing I asked for. Funny thing is, he gave it to me THROUGH that traumatic event! I really am very lucky. And I do trust Him. And I'm VERY grateful!
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