Just Ask

I am reading through the Gospel of Mark. It’s a good idea to always be reading through a book of the Bible, I think. It is something that I encourage all disciples of Jesus to do regularly, in addition to other devotional materials. Just jump into a book of the Bible and read it!

            Today I read Jesus’ parable in Mark 4 about the four soils (aka the “Parable of the Sower”). The story is found in Mark 4:1-20. Let me encourage you to grab your Bible, put down this newspaper, and read that parable for yourself. There’s lots of good stuff in this one.

            So, now that you’ve read it and it’s fresh on your mind, let me point out something in this story today. It’s not exactly something from the parable itself. I love the fact that the disciples aren’t 100% sure they understood all of this, so did you catch what they did?

            “When he (Jesus) was alone, the twelve (disciples) and the others around him asked him about the parables” (Mark 4:10).

            They asked.

            I wonder if many of the things that we are uncertain about, many of the things that trouble us, could be faced more faithfully if we simply asked Jesus about.

            Is that too simplistic?

            “We have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask” (1 John 3:21b-22a).

            “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door shall be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).

            Of course this is not a magic formula, nor am I saying ask God for a new Corvette, or ask who will win the World Series this year. I am saying that if we ask God, praying in his will, that he will answer us. If we need to understand something, as the disciples did in regards to that parable, then ask Jesus.

            James said that “if any one of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5)

Maybe this is a lot to digest from this parable, and there is a lot more to talk about just in those verses. If we remember that our job is to share Christ with everyone, and that by sowing the seeds we are being faithful to our calling, then we are trusting God to do the rest.

And if you are in need…ASK! Our God is a loving and generous God. Talk to God today about what’s going on in your life that you don’t understand why it’s happening (or why something isn’t happening). Talk to God about what you feel that you need, and ask him to line your wants/needs up with his will so that in all the circumstances and situations of your life you can be content in his love. Make a list of what you are asking God for, don’t be afraid to this. It’s amazing at what I have asked God for and what he has in turn given me. It hasn’t even always been what I asked for, but it has been so much more and exactly what I needed, even if I didn’t know I needed it at the time!

If you need a little extra encouragement in this then read the parable of the persistent widow found in Luke 18:1-8.

God is your good Father. So just ask him today for what you need, and then trust him that this Father really does know best.