The Holy Spirit depicted as a dove, surrounded by angels, by Giaquinto, 1750s. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is sometimes the case that we find ourselves to talk to someone about the Lord, only to find that their hearts and minds are closed? Should we have said something different? And many times, we will no doubt think of something we should have said later. Or maybe we will analyze the conversation and decide that we just took the wrong approach. There is nothing wrong with this sort of analysis.

We should always work to improve ourselves and to be able to better speak to others about the kingdom of God. But ultimately, we must remember that it is not us — not our words or our delivery of the message that saves people. It is the Lord. All we can do is to try to plant some seeds. As Jesus told the seventy-two disciples that he sent out in Luke chapter 10:  “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” It is not us they reject, but the Lord Himself.

Verses 9-10 of chapter 11 are often quoted, and widely misinterpreted:

And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

It is true that God wants to give us good gifts. But that does not mean that He will give us anything we want. We must keep in mind the whole of the scriptures when reading these verses — including James 4:3. We ask according to His will, not according to our passions. That does not make it wrong to ask for material things. Nor does it mean that God will not grant those things to us at times. But He is not obligated to do so at our every whim, nor would it likely be in our best interest for Him to do so. Keep in mind also that Jesus does qualify this in verse 13: “…how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

/Bob’s boy

Bible Reading Schedule for this month
Click links below to read or listen to audio of one of this week’s chapters in Colossians and Luke

Luke 7, Luke 8, Luke 9, Luke 10, Luke 11

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

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All of my comments in this blog are solely my responsibility. When reading any commentary, you should always refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word.