"Ask and Receive"

"Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart." (Psalms 119:34)

 As I was trying to say, what we hear from God is what we hold dearest to our hearts; it sticks around more than anything else. If there was going to be a law associated with this section of Scripture, it would be the law of 'Asking and Receiving.' Each and every verse is dedicated to asking God to teach me, change me, and strengthen me in His ways, laws, and precepts. This is something we do not learn in a school or Bible Study; these are the things we learn straight from God's heart to ours. As I have said before, David was called by God, "A man after His own heart," because he longed for the heart of God! Which reminds me of something important: Abraham did not get asked by God, "What will you do for me?" God made all of the promises, made the covenant, and even signed the contract, without any requirement from Abraham, except that he believe. As I heard a pastor say yesterday, "God is the covenant maker, we are the covenant breakers!" But if there is one thing that God will honor, it is a heart that truly wants to obey. Not that we can pull it off, but in the case of God's grace and mercy, effort goes quite far. Isn't that the case for Abraham? There needed to be movement on Abraham's part; he needed to pack up his things and move! That is our response to God: He provides the blessing, we need to take possession of it. That is all that is required of us, to take hold of the promises of God! What do you think makes God's day the most, a heart that grabs hold of a promise and then says, "See ya," or a heart that sticks around and asks for more? David was not the kind of guy that said, "See ya;" he was the kind of guy that wanted to be changed; to be changed into the kind of guy that deserved the promises of God. Even though we can't earn it, and we don't deserve it, we still need to appreciate all that He has done for us. And how do you think we show our appreciation?Long story short: To know our place...

"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waiver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do." (James 1:5-8) NLT