The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” 

—Matthew 7:7–8 

We all know that God doesn’t give us everything we ask for, so what does this verse mean?

I think the answer lies here: “you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

If we ask and seek for things other than him, we will often be disappointed. He continually shows himself, yet we keep rejecting him because we’re so focused on whatever condition we’ve given:

• “I’ll be content in you when you give me a spouse.”
• “I’ll rejoice in you when you resolve my financial difficulties.”
• “I’ll love you when you heal me.”
• “I’ll trust you when you make me successful.”

These may not be conscious thoughts, but it’s easy to fall into asking and seeking for a thing from God instead of for God himself.

We’ve asked for a stone, but he is handing us bread; we’ve asked for a snake, but he’s given us a fish (Matthew 7:9–11)—he will give us the gift that nourishes.

The progression of “ask, seek, knock” also indicates a sort of mounting persistence. Asking is less active than seeking. Seeking is less forceful than knocking. Knocking implies we’ve hit a barrier, but we don’t give up.

Sometimes people ask God to show himself and stop there, but our persistence in continually seeking him in all things will be rewarded with the gift of God himself.

It’s through seeking him and his righteousness first that everything else we truly need will be provided (Matthew 6:33).

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