It's a Door, Not a Wall—Knock on It {Matthew 7:7-8}

Don’t tear down walls to get through; just knock on the door. God will open it.

Study and memorize Matthew 7:7-8 with us this week.

[NOTE: Next week, Oct 11-17, is our planned 1-week break from Matthew 7.]

“Ask with confidence and humility.
Seek with care and application.
Knock with earnestness and perseverance.”
– Adam Clarke

Walls Stop Us

Has your home ever been flooded? If you live in a flood-prone area or along the coast when a hurricane strikes, you’re likely familiar with the problems of flooding.

When our local disaster relief group PAR cleans up homes after hurricanes, they often have to tear down walls that have severe water damage so they can be rebuilt. It’s hard work and if not done properly, can cause additional damage to the structure of the home.

In our everyday lives, we often try to tear down walls, too, perhaps creating even more damage along the way and using up our emotional and relational energy.

We judge what’s not ours to judge (Matthew 7:1).
We try to extract specks from others when we have logs in our eyes (Matthew 7:3).
We throw holy things to dogs and give pearls to pigs (Matthew 7:6).

Trying to barge through a wall is too hard. It stops us.

And it’s unnecessary.

Doors Are the Better Way

Here are this week’s memory verses.

“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

In these verses we discover there is a better way to get to the other side than ripping out walls.

1. LOOK FOR THE DOOR

We don’t have to try to go through a wall. There is a door instead. Go to the source; go to God.

Charles Spurgeon said,

“His doors are meant to open: they were made on purpose for entrance; and so the blessed gospel of God is made on purpose for you to enter into life and peace. It would be of no use to knock at a wall, but you may wisely knock at a door, for it is arranged for opening.”

Don’t try to go through a wall. It’s not an opening.

2. KNOCK ON THE DOOR

Try the door instead. Knock on it. Again and again. Don’t leave too soon if you don’t get an answer right away.

Be persistent in your knocking (Luke 18:1-8). In the original language, “ask, seek, knock” are in the present imperative tense. That means they imply continuous action, not one-time events: Ask and keep asking. Seek and keep seeking. Knock and keep knocking.

3. TRUST GOD TO OPEN THE DOOR

Anybody can knock on a door. It takes no special skills, no special tools. Trust God to open when you knock (don’t try to kick it in), and then take what He gives you. Let God be in control. He’s the One who holds all good gifts. He wants to give them to us when we ask Him (James 1:5-6).