Greetings again my Brethren. Let us continue to look at God’s knocking. Did you know God must have a big hand while at the same time He must have a small hand. In 1 Peter we find God’s hand can be quite big. We read, “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:” (1 Peter 5:5-6) In the life of Joseph the hand of God was his brothers, Potiphar, and the King of Egypt. What a mix of fingers to bring the will of God forth in Joseph’s life. But at the same time God’s hand could knock on Joseph’s heart. So too in our lives. God allows things into our lives for us to submit and come under so that we will hear and feel His knocking on our heart. God is good at knowing the things in our lives that we need to submit to, why He even brought them into our lives. And why? So we will slow down, stand still, so He can get our attention as we hear His knocking on our heart’s door. This knocking is very diverse and even reaches down into our sense of need. We often say we need this or we need that, but really all we need is more of God in our lives. He knows what we need. God knows what we need, right? We must believe God knows what we need. The more we believe He knows what we need the more we will faithfully serve Him and even sin less. In Matthew we read, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” (Matthew 6:31-32) We believe this, right? We see this same thought in John, but from a spiritual prospective, “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” (John 7:37-39) Now Jesus was not offering a big gulp of water, but a big drink of the Spirit of God that dwells within Him. It was no accident Jesus used water as a symbol. How important is water to life? I have been in the desert many times without proper water reserves and have thirsted for hours. One time it took God dropping into my heart Psalm 23 to save my life. David said, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” (Psalm 23:1-2) The words “he leadeth me beside the still waters” is translated “He brings me from one watering hole to the next” or “from one place of provision to the next.” How important is water to sustain life? Only second to God. God knows our frame, He knows our weakness, He knows our need and he always makes a way for our needs to be met. What do you need? More of God. Do you hear Him knocking? Not only does God knock on our heart’s door, but He also draws us. There is a difference between knocking (seeing if someone is at home) and drawing (come right in and sit a while with me). Also in John we find how God draws us unto Himself. Ready read, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.” (John 6:44-45) Now it says “no man” that means women too. There is only ONE way to the Father and that is through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. I am not even going to mention the other ways (it is a waste of our time) people try to get to God, no no no my friend, Jesus Christ is the only way we can get to the Father in heaven. Now here is the long pole in the tent, no person gets though Christ (the door, the gate, etc.) “except the Father which hath sent me draw him:” WOW the Father must draw us before we can be saved. So how important is it to be able to hear that small still voice of God speak to our heart or and feel the gentle rat-a-tat-tat on our heart? Some Christians believe God knows who He wants to be saved and the others, (Calvinism) well they are on their own. I do not believe that. The Bible I read says God wishes none to perish. Brother Peter helps us again, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) But millions upon millions of people do. And why? They have rejected God’s drawing in their lives. Some have walked away from God after He has touched them in wonderful ways. How strange this could be, but not so strange if we do not take heed to our walk with the LORD and drink of Him.
Next month we will continue to look at more of God’s knocking. Do you hear Him calling? Please know God is calling. Walter Beuttler said if you build God a temple He will inhabit it. Have you built God a temple? If you do He will abide and wait for you. Written by David Stahl
