Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:8-9)
If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him? (Matthew 7:11)
See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called children of God. Yet so we are. (1 John 3:1)
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
Most of us are familiar with temptation. We know when we're being tempted to lust, envy, or greed. But what about the temptation to doubt God the Father's goodness and his promises? Have you ever doubted that your loving Father in heaven has really forgiven your sins? Or that he will ever fulfill his plans for you? Have you ever doubted his willingness to bless you, even when you know he has the power to do so? While we may not think this way constantly, we've all done so at one time or another.
Jesus challenged his disciples-and each of us-to put aside any doubts about the Father's care. He knows how fragile our trust can be. Ever since Satan asked Eve, "Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?" we've been inclined to mistrust our heavenly Father (Genesis 3:1). We think that we have to get by on our own, but Jesus wants us to know God the Father for who he is-love! (1 John 4:8).
If we listen carefully, we can almost hear the urgency in Jesus' words: "Go ahead! Seek and you will find. Please, I beg you, knock! The door will be opened! Ask my Dad. Just ask him, and you will receive!" Jesus is confident that if we only knew the Father the way he knows him, our joy would be complete and unassailable (John 15:11). That's why Jesus died for us, after all. He wanted to set us free from sin so that we could be reunited with his Father and share in his incredible goodness.
So how will you respond to Jesus' question? Have you accepted the fact that you are indeed God's son and he desires to bless you with good gifts? If not, take the plunge! The next time you need something, try asking him with a more expectant faith. We already know that he hears our prayers, and that he only wants the best for us. We've been sealed with the blood of his son, Jesus, so we can approach his throne with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). The simple fact is, nothing is impossible for God!
"Lord, thank you for revealing your Father and his great love for me! Help me to know him as my Father too, and to trust in his love, compassion, and promises."
Many thanks to The Word Among Us for allowing us to adapt material from daily meditations in their monthly devotional magazine. Used with permission.
Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men
1. Take a few minutes to reflect on the Scripture verses at the beginning of this article? What do you think God is trying to reveal to you in these Scriptures?
2. How does your image of God the Father compare to the way he is depicted in the Scriptures and in this article? How does this image affect how you pray and live out your faith?
3. In the article, we hear these words, "So how will you respond to Jesus' question? Have you accepted the fact that you are indeed God's son and he desires to bless you with good gifts? If not, take the plunge!" What steps can you take to "take the plunge"?
4. If you are in a men's group, end your meeting by praying to the Lord that each of you would come to know more deeply how much your heavenly Father loves you and that your trust in him would increase. Use the prayer at the end of the article as the starting point
