Learn of Him!

Learn of Him!

Jesus says in Matt. 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” But what should we ask for? Jesus says earlier in His Sermon on the Mount, that we should not worry about food, drink and clothes. In other words, we are not to worry about anything practical that we think we need. This is where we need enlightened eyes of the heart. God is only interested in what is on the inside. The eyes in our head only see what is on the outside. But when the eyes of our heart are opened, and we begin to see our own lack of love, care, and generosity, and we see our own big “me” and “I”, then there is much for us to ask for and seek after.

It is possible that I can begin to ask, seek and knock when I am lacking outward things. Maybe I need money or something needs to be repaired, and I am in a difficult situation, practically speaking. That brings me into need and I make a tremendous effort to find a way out. Jas. 4:3 says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” To ask amiss means that I asked for the wrong thing! How can I make sure that I don’t ask amiss? “Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.” Matt. 23:26. It is the inside that must be so thoroughly cleaned, and only God can see what is on the inside!

God needs to open the eyes of our heart, as it is written in Rev. 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” When Jesus comes in to my heart, and begins to have fellowship with me—I who am so wretched, and am worried and troubled about so many outward and temporal things—suddenly all that matters is what is on the inside. The King has arrived and now all I care about is that the inside of my heart is beautiful! Now all I want is to hear Him, and obey Him, and please Him. He knows everything that I need here on earth, but most importantly He knows what I need for all of eternity! “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.” Eccles. 3:11.

Now I need to be very humble and learn everything that I can during this extremely short time I have on earth. When the light shines on my own tendencies, my own will, and my own sin, I need to be quick to hate it and become one with Jesus, who is my example. He hated everything of His own life, so that He could be filled with everything from above! He actually did this! He was a man like me! “Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear.” Heb. 5:7.

Let’s learn to ask as He asked, seek as He sought and knock as He knocked! “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ‘Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth.’” 1 Pet. 2:21-22.

We need to respond to His invitation in Matt. 11:28-30, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Let us seek fellowship with Him with all our hearts, and be open to learning from Him. When we do this, the education we receive will be useful for all of eternity!