By:  Andrea Chapov

“For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds;

and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭8‬ ‭AMPC‬‬

A long time ago when my husband, Fabian, and I were students at the University of Florida, we got Sub sandwiches and went to Lake Alice to have a picnic. I brought a bread bag of the ends of loaves of bread that I had saved to feed to birds or ducks.

We were in a shaded clearing on a sunny day, sitting on a blanket on the grass. A flock of many small birds came to us, and we were tossing pieces of bread out to them.

The birds closest to us looked very eager and they came as close to us as they dared to. I enjoyed their boldness and I found it to be fun to feed them. When they caught some bread, that didn’t stop them. They ate it up and pressed in for more. I threw a few pieces to the birds in the middle of the flock. I noticed the ones all the way in the back, who were the farthest away from us. They looked like they wanted some bread; but, they sure weren’t trying very hard to get any. I might have thrown a few pieces way out there, because I felt sorry for them. I wanted to give the bread to the birds who seemed the happiest about receiving it!

I’ve never forgotten this. To me, it was a modern-day parable that The Heavenly Father gave me to show me His heart when it comes to His children asking, seeking and knocking.

His Word says:

Faith pleases Him (Hebrews 11:6)

He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6)

In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3)

He wants us to be close to Him (James 4:8)

He wants us to be full of joy (John 15:11)

As Jesus tells us to do in Matthew 6 verse 33, we are supposed to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, knowing that everything else that we need will be given to us as well. He promises that if we ask, it will be given to us. If we seek, He says that we will find. And, if we knock, it will be opened to us.

As we wait for Him, we have the joy of getting to know Him more and more. How blessed we are to know Him!