ACE #437: Still Under Construction

When I was in high school, I remember some construction the state was doing to improve travel on Interstate 75 (I-75). I can’t really remember when it started. I just remember when I started giving attention to it. I was riding to the state basketball tournament with some friends from Lexington to Richmond. Anyway, after that, any time I drove I-75 south I noticed construction on the road. It seemed to last forever. Years later, the construction seemed to be complete…at least I thought.

Some years after that, changes were being made again. Then, years later, some more changes. To this day changes are still being made to one of the main highways running through the state of Kentucky. The road seems to always be under construction.

Well, let me translate this spiritually. Like the highway, in Christ, our heart should always be under construction as well. As we go through this life, we will need ‘The Engineer’ of life, the almighty God, to change our heart again and again to prepare it for every situation possible.

The heart is a CHRISTian's main component for dealing with the things of this world. If it is not engineered in Christ, it will not be able to withstand the evilness, the foolishness, and the disappointments of this world. Understanding that we are always under construction, as believers in Christ, will certainly give us hope for dealing with things to come. A heart that is always under construction is positioned for God to make changes to serve His purpose for the time. He continually engineers a heart to glorify Him and to one day soon bring completion to the work.

Philippians 1:6

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

ACE #436 ASK

Many of us have a habit of petitioning God, but not faithfully moving so He can bless. Our faith is weakened by our ASK. We are asking God, but not believing God to do it. Better yet, we ask, but we don’t finish the process for God to do it. You see, to ask God for something means you have to be willing to follow through on your request and expect God to move, but not you. We all know faith is action. When functioning in true faith, seeing is not believing. Believing is knowing the actions and the word of God. Jesus said, “…for everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

Friends, God, through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus, has supplied every need we will ever have when it is about Him. All we have to do ask. But, in asking, we have to make sure we are doing our part. Asking is followed with action…just asking is not enough.

If you are asking the Lord for better, you have to believe that you will receive better. Not only do ask for better, you have to seek better for yourself. I am convinced that some of us are not getting better because we don’t know where better is coming from. Better is coming in Jesus. Seek out the things that move you from yourself to realizing that greater is He who is in you than you who in this miserable world. Then, knock on doors that encourage your request. Stop trying to open doors in your own strength. Let Christ and it will be opened unto you. All you have to do is, Ask! Seek! Knock!

Matthew 7:7-11

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

⁹ “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!