Reading With the People of God #12 - the Good LifeSample

Keys to the Kingdom

One of the wonders of Holy Scripture is the facility to convey timeless truth, eternal wisdom, and the message of God’s love in just a few words. The power in the Word is vast and precise; Hebrews 10:12 tells us the Word of God is “alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword.” The Bible has this unique ability to speak to us as unbelieving sinners or devout saints in amazing and life-changing ways. Every word is there for a reason. In this brief passage, Jesus frames the goodness and faithfulness of God to redeem his people and have communion with them. Saved or unsaved, young or old, we respond to the effectual calling of the Holy Spirit and hear the Good Shepherd’s voice…we know it because we are His. We are on a mission then, sent on the journey of love, cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit first in ourselves, then to the world.

In the very simplest terms, Jesus gives us the keys to the Kingdom…Ask, Seek, Knock. We have the assurance, spelled out in Deuteronomy, that He will be found if we seek the Lord God with all our heart. Jesus lays it out plainly in his typical perfection, with words of confirming assurance that when we cry out when we need his peace and comfort and provision, He will be there. His illustration brings it home to every parent listening. If my beloved child asks for a biscuit, am I too cold to give them a rock? God will, much more, provide perfect peace when we Ask, Seek, and Knock.

* Primer contributed by Matt Harry, Elder Emeritus, Cornerstone Community Church of Chowchilla