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Ask, search, and knock.

March 10, 2022

Esther (Apocrypha) 14:1–6,12–14 | Matthew 7:7–12 | Psalm 138

I imagine that we have all faced crises in our lives and floundered, flailed about, or sunk into some state of despair as we dealt with the myriad dimensions of such crises. While perhaps more extreme, the story of Esther provides such an example. Queen Esther, who had kept her identity as a Jew hidden from her husband, King Ahasuerus of Persia, learned of an impending order to kill all Jews throughout the empire and was “seized with deadly anxiety”. Choosing to attempt to save her people and, in the process, reveal herself, she called upon the Lord — asking, begging for His help. She reclaimed her heritage and searched her heart for the courage and vision she had asked of God in planning her people’s rescue. And then, she stepped into her faith – she knocked. She found what the psalmist in today’s lectionary proclaimed to be true – that God is always there for us and will make good His purpose for us.

In the lesson from Matthew, we learn about the good gifts received when we invite God into our lives, when we seek out his purpose for us, and then knock or lean into that purpose through our lives. I love that we are called to be actively involved in receiving the gifts of God! But just what are these ‘good gifts’? While fame or fortune may come to mind, they are nothing compared to the gifts of love, grace, forgiveness, and faith we receive as we actively engage God and each other.

When I remember to ask, pray, or talk to God in my distress, I am calmed. When I seek a closer relationship with God through worship, the scriptures, faith formation, fellowship, or appreciation of His amazing creation, I am fed. When I am graced to glimpse God’s image in all about me, I feel His presence and am filled with awe. Yet, building these habits of engagement is not an easy, straight-line process and I have learned that receiving these good gifts requires patience with and commitment to a continuously evolving, ever-changing relationship with God and my neighbor. These last two years have introduced a whole new dimension of crises for all of us, with the threat of global war now nipping at our heels. If ever there was a time to ask, seek, and lean into our faith it is now. If ever we need to do unto others as we would have them do to us, it is now. The gifts of love, grace, forgiveness, and faith can make good God’s purpose for all of us.

Deborah Collins