The "If" and "From There"

Daily Gratitude Year 7-Day 251: Today, I am grateful for the "if" and "from there".

One of the things we watch in the development of our children is the way they eventually learn that a certain behavior results in a particular outcome. We repeat desired behaviors to achieve what we want and avoid other actions we learn result in negative outcomes. We often refer to this as "maturity". 

Einstein said that "repeating the same behaviors expecting different results" was insanity. He was a scientist and it was that clear for him. Ridiculously obvious.

For some... we have to repeatedly walk ourselves into danger zones before we finally "get it". Slow? Stubborn? Immature? Call it what you want. God, in many cases, would call it sin. 

But our God is so faithful, he longs for us to find our way out of the messes we make. He is waiting for our call. No need to text. Whisper a prayer and it is heard. Not like a genie in a bottle, but a God who designed this magnificent universe. He sees each one of us as children who are lost, until we seek His face and find him. How do we do that? 

In this world full of troubles, some troubles we can't control. Others are self created. Our Heavenly Father eagerly awaits our turn and return to him. It is so easy to get caught up in the worship of "idols made of wood and stone". Idols can refer to our homes, our jobs, our ball stadiums, our cars, our toys, our technology and any of our worldly obsessions.  

"And there you will serve gods of wood and stone, the work of human hands, that neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul." -Deuteronomy 4:28-29 (ESV) 

His word is clear on the process. Jesus reiterated the path in the New Testament when He said:

"For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened." -Matthew 7:8

Luke recorded this instruction, too:

“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead?" -Luke 11:9-12

I love it when two or three of the gospels record the same teaching. It gives us more than one lens on the message for clarity and deeper understanding. 

Matthew was a tax collector and Luke a physician. Matthew understood accounting checks and balances. Luke knew the human body had wants and more importantly needs. We all want what we want, but it sometimes leaves us empty. 

We all need what we need... a personal relationship with Jesus. It is where we find peace. He is waiting for our invitation to come in and clean up our hearts and our messes ...with His forgiveness and grace... when we seek him with our whole hearts and souls. He makes beautiful people out of broken ones. 

"If" we seek him with our whole hearts. "If from there", we call on His name. 

Whisper His name in Hebrew... "Yeshua".  Saying it brings a calm and leaves a smile on your face. Try it. Invite it. Let it change... well... everything. 

Today, I am grateful for the "if" and "from there".