The other day I had two of my daughter’s children – my grandchildren (by the way I have five and each of them is very special to me), and we decided to get a bite to eat at McDonald’s.  We had been shopping (where else but at Walmart) and wanted to grab something to eat to take home with us so papaw wouldn’t have to cook.  Now McDonald’s is famous for its quick service as long as everything is ordered as it comes standard.  But if there is anything special about it then it takes a bit longer.  My grandson just wanted a regular cheeseburger.  Not a big deal, except all he wanted on it was ketchup (that is standard) pickles (they are standard) but no mustard and a bit of mayo (that is not standard).  There was a bit of a line behind us so I wasn’t really surprised when they asked us to pull up and wait.  I didn’t like it; I wanted to just pull up to the second window and get our food and go home,  so I was disappointed and a little angry but I shouldn’t have been because I had half-way expected it. 

            We like things now.  We live in a now world.  Sometimes this is very convenient but when it comes to knowing what the Word of God says there is no substitute for good old fashioned reading and studying.  We have covered the fact that we can’t just make up the terms of our salvation.  When Paul wrote to work out your own salvation he wasn’t giving a license to believe what you want to believe.  And we have established that the Bible says what it means and not one thing to one congregation and another thing to a different congregation.  God meant what He said, although often we don’t want to believe it so we twist it around until it fits what we want to believe.  Nope … can’t do that.

            Instead we are to ask, seek, and knock.  Jesus said in Matthew 11:9-10, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”  This is another passage that has been twisted and misinterpreted.   Many have taken it to mean that whatever we ask for we will get, and whatever we look for we will find and whatever door we knock upon it will be opened.  But true study of this verse in its context and in all associated passages with it will reveal that the persistence of asking, seeking and knocking all go hand in hand.  It takes time to do these three things and as we are doing them we discover that we must ask, seek and knock for what Jesus would ask, seek and knock for.  When we do we will receive and get every time not because we are asking for our own selfish and petty requests but because we are asking on behalf of Jesus for what will further the kingdom, win souls to Christ and provide for the needs of others.  Many teach that if we do these things we can gain great wealth and get what we want and drive what we want and live in the house we want.  But that is the furthest from the truth.  We must do these things on behalf of Jesus and He never asked for anything of personal wealth - ever.

            These same principles apply to the Word of God.  Many use the excuse that they will just go by what the preacher says.  After all isn’t he or she God’s spokesperson today?  Aren’t they supposed to be looking for the truth?  Isn’t that what they get paid for?  But in reality those who preach and teach the Word of God are merely human too.  They also are apt to make mistakes.  No siree, we must study the Bible by asking, seeking and knocking.  We need to put in our share of “elbow grease” and then and only then can we know for ourselves what the Bible really says.  If we do these three things as we study the Bible in light of conforming to what is there rather than looking for ways to make it conform to what we believe, what Mom and Dad believed, or even what our denomination teaches then we will find.  We will receive, and the door will be opened to us.

            We don’t take what someone else says because they may be speaking the truth and they may just be “wolves in sheep’s clothing” too.  We won’t know for sure unless we study for ourselves.  Don’t even take what I am saying for the truth without studying it in the Word for yourself. 

“But I just don’t understand the Bible.”  Then understand what you can, pray for God’s guidance, search the scripture, ask, seek and knock – or pray, look, and study!  It may take some time, but if you are sincere and honest in your search God will lead you to the truth and you will find.

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.?  Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.