"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."
~ Matthew 7:7
You’ve been on a
long, strenuous journey. Each step is a battle as your body cries out in pain.
Your heart grows heavy when you examine the vast expanse of barren land
stretching out to taunt you. But then, you see it- the faint outline of a house
in the distance. As you grow closer, you see that there is a gleaming light
radiating from the windowsills. At first, hope flickers inside you like the
glow of a fitful lightning bug, but from there it begins to grow. It glimmers
with all of its eager brilliance and illuminates the most dark and desperate
chambers of your soul. It’s the hope that maybe, just maybe, some compassionate
spirit in that house will open his doors, take you in, and give you a place to
rest your weary eyes. He’ll give you something to satisfy your emaciated
stomach. He’ll help you find the hope you’ve been looking for all along.
The very thought is enough to turn your burdened gait into a rejuvenated
sprint. The bitter wind eats at the nape of your frostbitten neck, but you push
against it with everything you have. Finally, with a pounding heart and bated
breath, you find yourself on the doorstep of this house, this fortress- an
ornate mansion that towers over you in greatness. Anxiously, you pound on the
door with your trembling fist. Nothing. You knock a little harder- furiously,
even.
“Please, sir. Let me in,” you mutter desperately. “I know you can hear
me!” Silence. Earsplitting silence. We don’t know whether to be more persistent
in our plea, or to dejectedly walk away.
Isn’t this how we feel with God sometimes? We’ve come so far. We’ve
knocked so hard. We’ve waited so long for Him to bring us into His embraces, to
offer us peace and rest. But it seems as if He’s remained silent. He’s left us
out in the cold to grovel in our despair. He must be the callous mansion owner
watching over us from His lofty place of warmth and comfort; He must be mocking
us in our agony. Believe me. I know the feeling. I know what it’s like to feel
as if my fervent prayers somehow disintegrate into all of God’s
incomprehensible breadth. I know what it’s like too feel like I’m so low on His
priority list that I’ve just been shoved to the bottom of the stack. I know
what it’s like to feel like His pawn in some sick, twisted game. I’ve been there.
We all have, at some point or another- whether we’ve never been able to muster
a prayer or whether we’ve prayed the same one 1,000 times.
And in the midst of it all, we are challenged with a word, a command,
that arouses torrents of overwhelming frustration: “Wait.” Wait for things to
get better. Wait for reconciliation in that relationship. Wait to find what
you’re looking for. Wait for healing Wait for peace. Wait.
“Wait, God? Are you freaking kidding me? Do you know how cold it is out
here? Do you know how lost, hungry, and hopeless I am? Why on Earth do you want
me to wait!?”
I know that nothing can be said to relieve the temporary affliction that
accompanies periods of prolonged suffering. But I can offer a few eternal
promises: your perseverance will strengthen you; it will conform you to the
image of God: “For we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance
character, and character, hope. And this hope will not disappoint us because
God’s love has been poured out to us through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans
5:3-5). You will be renewed and your steps will be refreshed; you won’t just
walk- you’ll soar: “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they’ll mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not become weary;
they shall walk and not become faint” (Isaiah 40:31). You will yield a reward far greater than what seems imaginable:
“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the
farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until
it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient, for the coming
of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:7-8). Greater things are coming. Greater
things you will find if you seek them earnestly, no matter how long and strenuous
the journey may be. No matter how long you’re waiting on the doorstep.
And while you’re waiting? By no
means do you have to like it. By no means do your prayers have to be “nice.”
It’s perfectly okay to raise your voice with God; I don’t think He minds. It’s
okay to knock harder- put a hole in the door, if absolutely necessary. God will
see your persistence. Into your persistence, He will pour His incredible power.
Others will see your faith, and they’ll be stunned. (Or maybe they’ll think
you’re crazy. That’s okay too.) Your renewed spirit will shine bright enough to
illuminate a thousand nights. And when the time is right, the bitter winds will
shift. The horizon will brighten. A benevolent man with scarred hands and a
compassionate gaze will come down to greet you. You’ll find that in His house
are many rooms, filled with broken, imperfect people. All along, He has been
preparing a place for you. It offers shelter. It offers hope and healing. It
offers reconciliation. It offers satisfaction and peace. And it’s far greater
than anything you ever could have imagined. You rest in this man’s embrace and
thank Him for hearing your cry. He commends you for not giving up.
So don’t give up.
Keep on asking- because the life you receive will be abundant.
Keep on seeking- because you might be surprised at what you find.
Keep on knocking- because when the door finally creaks
open, what lies beyond the threshold will be worth the wait.