Thursday, January 21

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

   9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! - Matthew 7.7-11

Several years ago a friend of mine was seeking some advice regarding financial issues he and his family were going through.  Some would say his first problem is that he was asking me for financial advice.  As I thought through my own experiences and any Scriptures that came to mind the best thing I could come up with to tell him was that God always provides.  But that just sounded so cliche…then I got it!  How could I tell him the same truth but make it more emphatic?  I looked at him and told him “God has never not provided for my needs.” 

Yes, that’s right, I used the dreaded double negative. 

But there was something about the double negative that clicked for him, he told me he had never thought of it that way.  He then began to think back on his life and realized that though he and his family often worried, God had never not provided for their needs. 

There’s something about looking at a classic truth from the other direction that helps us to grab it in a new way.  This is what I want to share with you today. God has never not provided.  Think back on your life, have you ever not had your needs met?  Not your wants, your needs.  I’d be willing to venture a guess that each of you have some need right now that you’re wondering how it will be met.  Maybe right now you’re thinking: “What about me? I’ve got this long list of needs that are unmet.”

I have another friend who for the last 4 months has been out of work.  Every time I saw him I would ask him, “How’s the job search?” and he would respond the same way, “nothing yet.”  About 3 and a half months into it, I finally asked him a different question, “Have you been praying about this?” His response surprised me, “No, I just don’t know if I really believe that God would pull through.”  I looked at him and told him, “just try, pray about it and see what God does.”  The next time I saw him, I asked, “How’s the job search?”  His response, “I got a job!”  I said “Have you been praying about this?”  And he looked back at me with such a sense of joy in his eyes and said, “You were right, I’ve been praying about it and asking people to pray and God provided!”

Now, I’m NOT saying that God will miraculously provide your needs the second after you pray, but I think often times we don’t have because we don’t ask.  We attempt to meet our needs through our own strength, yet God wants to meet our needs, we only need to ask.

 As Jesus is teaching the crowds on the Mount of Olives he tells them "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?” (Mt. 6.26-27)  Friends, God has never not provided.  If you have a need, ask the God who provides.

I want to bring this back around now to genuine, heartfelt thanksgiving.  Read what Paul wrote to the church in Philipi.

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Phil. 4.6-7

I think that Paul is encouraging them to pray with thanksgiving implies that they take time to reflect on what GOD has already provided as they ask him to provide the next thing.  Today, before you pray for your list of needs, take a few moments and reflect on all the things God has already provided.

I’ll get you started: Father, thank you for my salvation through your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for being near to me when I pray--that I have access to you any time of the day or night. Thank you for the roof over my head last night...