We’re
familiar with “knock, knock jokes.”
“Knock, knock…”
“Who’s there?”
And then we
insert whatever punch line to complete the joke; it’s usually pretty silly.
Knocking: it
seems to signify persistence. And, in this life game, persistence is necessary
to obtain major goals and benchmarks. The challenge is to not give up. Simply
stated, but not simply executed, huh?
Scripture
also addresses the knocking issue:
“Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who
asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door
will be opened.”
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be
given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who
asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door
will be opened.”
Luke 11:9-10
So, why
aren’t we all a-knocking away? We’re
finite, imperfect, flawed people…who get tired. And with that tired state, we
often give up, in spite of the scripture telling us to do otherwise…
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we
shall reap, if we faint not.”
Galatians 6:9
It comes
down to a fun word: patience.
“In your patience possess ye your
souls.”
Luke 21:19
I know-
groan here.
There is a method to the patience madness, however.
“And not only so, but we glory in
tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience,
experience; and experience, hope:”
Romans 5:3-4
Yeah. Still more fun times ahead.
“But if we hope for that we see not,
then do we with patience wait for it.”
Romans 8:25
None of this patience thing feels great. It
feels like discipline, which, let’s be real, feels like punishment.
“No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening--it's
painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for
those who are trained in this way.”
Hebrews 12:11
Yay. So much fun! Because, after all, we want
what we want and we want it now, right? But patience still is required, like it
or not.
“For ye have need of patience, that,
after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”
Hebrews 10:36
And here’s where scripture comes in.
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime
were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the
scriptures might have hope.”
Romans 15:4
No, we may not be in a celebratory mood about
this entire thing. Nevertheless, there is a point to it. Again…
“For ye have need of patience, that,
after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”
Hebrews 10:36
And that brings us back to Jesus.
“Remembering without ceasing your work of
faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the
sight of God and our Father;”
1 Thessalonians 1:3
Remember Him? He had to go through it also.
So, we revisit the knocking thing…
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my
voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they
with me.”
Patience has its reward. And we’re never more
important than Jesus, especially when it comes to experiencing unpleasant
things…
"For I gave you an example that you also should do as I
did to you. "Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not
greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent
him. "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”
John 13:15-17
Yet again, there is a promise for “hanging in
there,” if we keep persisting…
“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are
children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God
and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also
be glorified with Him.”
Romans 8:16-17
But that requires knocking…and knocking…and,
sometimes, MORE knocking…
It’s up to each
of us to decide. So..
“Knock, knock…”
“Who’s there?”
Is it you and I?
How CAN it be today?
Copyright © 2015 by
Sheryle Cruse
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