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. [Matthew 7:7-8 (NLT)]
Our pastor once told the story of a recently married parishioner. After a long day of travel, he and his new wife finally arrived at their hotel. The groom hoisted the bride in his arms and opened the door to their deluxe suite. It had a beautiful view of the beach, a small kitchenette, and an elaborate entertainment system. What it didn’t appear to have was a bed! They finally checked the sofa and discovered it was a hide-a-bed. They were exhausted and, deciding it was too late to complain, the newlyweds unfolded the bed and settled in. Like most hide-a-beds, this one had a thin mattress and two supporting bars that seemed to dig into whatever part of the body was downward. The couple tossed and turned and, needless to say, their honeymoon night did not meet their expectations.
The following morning, the irate groom went to the front desk to complain. The desk clerk inquired if he had opened the door right by the entry. “You mean the closet?” asked the groom. “No,” replied the clerk, “I mean the door to the bedroom!” Feeling foolish, the groom returned to the suite, opened the door, and found a beautifully appointed bedroom. Flowers were on the dresser, a now warm bottle of champagne sat in a cooler, and chocolates lay on the pillow. These gifts, along with a king-sized bed, had been waiting for him behind a door that he’d never opened.
Whether the Pastor’s story is true or just a Sunday sermon parable doesn’t matter. What’s important are the questions it leaves us to answer. Have we been thwarted by closed doors when all we needed to do was open them? Are there opportunities we’ve missed simply because we weren’t looking for them? Have we concluded the answer is “No!” before we’ve even asked? Have we settled for less when God has given us more? Have we been disappointed simply because we didn’t take the time to look for hidden blessings?
If we don’t seek them out, we’ll miss the many gifts God has given us. What door is waiting to be opened today?
Heaven is full of answers to prayers for which no one ever bothered to ask. [Billy Graham]
For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. … But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears because they hear. [Matthew 13:13,16 (NLT)]
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Carrying posters, displaying bumper stickers, wearing t-shirts, or hash tagging with the words, “He’s not my president!” changes absolutely nothing. After today, he is. How we voted, who got the popular vote, whether we’re happy or outraged, whether we have faith in him or not makes no difference. This is what we have for the next four years.
With John’s purchase of his sporty new car, I thought I was done writing about Lynn Johnston’s comic strip For Better or For Worse and temptation. I’d forgotten all about Ted, John’s friend, who suggested a “spicy dish” and some “after hours recreation.” Shocked, John had said, “Your wife wouldn’t put up with you messing around!” Ted smugly replied, “Oh she suspects…The trick is—never let them know for sure!!” Six weeks after appearing in that comic, Ted reappeared in another one. When Ted grumpily refused a ride in John’s new car, John wondered if he’d gotten out of the wrong side of the bed. No longer smug, Ted dejectedly responded, “Doesn’t matter what side of the bed I get out on anymore…My wife left me.” I didn’t see that coming and, apparently, neither did Ted!
Devotions of the Heart 