"Ask, and It Shall be Given You." Part 1

By Mrs. E. G. White

It seems so sad that we praise God so little. Gratitude, praise, and thanksgiving need now to be searched for and cultivated as lost arts. They are more precious to the Lord Jesus than all the treasures of gold and silver which the earth contains. Every human being should appreciate the kindness and love wherewith God has loved us. When we were yet enemies Christ gave His life that we might be saved. How much have we appreciated this gift?

In His instruction to His disciples Christ dwelt upon the great gift of the Spirit, declaring that nothing was too great to be expected from the coming of the divine Spirit. He longed to quicken and enlarge the conception of His disciples by communicating to them His own complete appreciation of God's love, that they might be able to comprehend the value of the gift of all gifts, given by God with the giving of His beloved Son,--the gift of the Holy Spirit. On all who love and serve God this gift has been bestowed. Christ has made provision for all to receive His Spirit; for He desires to see human nature released from the bondage of sin, and, by the power which God gives, renewed, restored, raised to a holy rivalry with the angels.

To the woman at the well Christ said, "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water. . . . Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life."

Yes; in giving the Holy Spirit, it was impossible for God to give more. To this gift nothing could be added. By it all needs are supplied. The Holy Spirit is the vital presence of God, and if appreciated will call forth praise and thanksgiving, and will ever be springing up unto everlasting life. The restoration of the Spirit is the covenant of grace. Yet how few appreciate this great gift, so costly, yet so free to all who will accept it! When faith takes hold of the blessing, there comes rich, spiritual good. But too often the blessing is not appreciated. We need an enlarged conception in order to comprehend its value.

Christ declared, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?"

Oh what amazing love and condescension! The Lord Jesus encourages His believing ones to ask for the Holy Spirit. By presenting the parental tenderness of God, He seeks to encourage faith in the reception of the gift. The heavenly Parent is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him than earthly parents are to give good gifts to their children.

What greater thing could be promised? What more is necessary to awaken a response in every soul, to inspire us with a longing for the great gift? Shall not our half-hearted supplications be turned into petitions of intense desire for this great blessing? We do not ask for enough of the good things God has promised. If we would reach up higher and expect more, our petitions would reveal the quickening influence that comes to every soul who asks with the full expectation of being heard and answered. The Lord is not glorified by the tame supplications which show that nothing is expected. He desires every one who believes to approach the throne of grace with earnestness and assurance.

Do we realize the magnitude of the work in which we are engaged? If we did, there would be more fervency in our prayers. Our entreaties would rise before God with convincing earnestness. We would plead for power as a hungry child pleads for bread. If we realized the greatness of the gift, if we desired the attainment of the blessing, our petitions would ascend with earnestness, importunity, urgency. It would be as if we were at the gate of heaven, soliciting entrance.

We should ask with an earnestness that will not be denied. The Lord has an intense desire that every one should take advanced steps in absolute certainty, relying upon God. He is the light and life of all who seek Him. The measure which we receive of the holy influence of His Spirit is proportionate to the measure of our desire to receive, of our faith to grasp, and of our capacity to enjoy the great goodness of the blessing and to impart it to others.

-- Concluded Next Month --

Originally published in The Bible Echo, August 5, 1901.

 

 




 
 

God's Word Our Assurance
Christ Our Righteousness A Morning Talk
Through Faith Alone Part 1
Through Faith Alone Part 2
What Was Secured by the Death of Christ
Seek Those Things Which are Above Part 1
Seek Those Things Which are Above Part 2
Christ, Our Loving Comforter and Restorer
Work to Show Christ to the World
"Let Him Take Hold of My Strength"
Ellen G. White's Last Recorded Letter
The Joy of Giving
A New Year's Day Letter
Christ Our Hope
A Letter of Comfort and Assurance
Prevailing Prayer
A Prayer of Consecration
Help for the Tempted
God Will Provide
Christ's Righteousness Avails
Trusting Christ
The Fair Flowers of Promise
How God’s Love is Manifested, Part 1
How God’s Love is Manifested, Part 2
"Ye are Complete in Him," Part 1
"Ye are Complete in Him," Part 2
"Ye are Complete in Him," Part 3
"I Will Give You Rest"
Working as Christ Worked
A Life-Changing Experience
The Character of God Revealed in Christ
What God Desires Us to Be
God's Plans the Best
A Peculiar People
God With Us
Ask and it shall be given you, Part 1
Ask and it shall be given you, Part 2
The Meaning of God's Pardoning Love, Part 1
The Meaning of God's Pardoning Love, Part 2
The Foundation of Our Peace
One Thing Impossible With God
Windows Wide Open
The Only Foundation
Christ Spans the Gulf of Sin, Part 1
Christ Spans the Gulf of Sin, Part 2
Homeward Bound
A New Year's Day Letter
Asking to Give
The Mighty and Inspiring Conflict
God's Word a Treasure House
True Success
Little Things
You May Trust Him
Hearts Filled with Thankfullnes to God
Calamities and God’s Love; Sin, Judgment, and the Shortness of Time
Lord is Risen
The Sabbath
Some Thoughts for the New Year