7 ¶ Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
(New Testament | Matthew 7:7 – 11; Luke 11:9+; Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 14:7+; 27:29; Doctrine and Covenants 4:7; 6:5; 11:5; 12:5; 14:5; 49:26; 66:9; 75:27; 88:63);
 |
But what if our focus is all wrong when we ask, seek, and knock? What if the focus must shift from me to THEE, where we sincerely:
Ask what God wills in the circumstances?
Seek what God desires for the good of all?
Knock with patience, trust, and openness?
Have we pondered what He means by bread? or fish? or good?2
If Jesus’ “desire, plan, and purpose” was to do the will of God His Father and not His own, then what did He surrender3 even in the agony of the Garden?
“Not my will, but thine, be done.”Isn’t that what the gospel is trying to teach us? to ascertain what God's will is for our life and then to fulfill the measure of our creation? to do as Jesus did, trusting in and surrendering our will and perspective to the will and perspective of the One who is omniscient? Isn't this what we should be asking and seeking: “What is Thy Will in this situation?” “Is it to be now or am I to wait for all things to work together for good?”
Yes, we can present our desires, plans, and purposes because some of those are imparted to us by God, but many desires come from elsewhere because the natural man4 is an enemy to God’s will for our life. We often miss so many of the miraculous weavings of God’s will and purposes in the precise timing of innumerable events. Even just a few episodes of the TV series “It’s a Miracle”5 witnesses to the incredible synchronicities of life.
So what are we to ask and seek for?
“Please, God, if my desire does not align with Thy will and Thy timing, please help me to re-align with Thy plan and purpose for me.”Which brings us to the weaponization of “Why wait?” Satan’s Babylon with her credit / debit system has brought incredible stress, misery, addiction, abuse, sorrow, and destruction to countless lives. “Why wait?” in our impatient, deal-driven, ad-exaggerated world is a MY-WILL accelerant. What better way to mess up people's lives than to get them out of sync with God’s will and timing. Several posts ago I considered this issue in the life of Jacob, son of Isaac, and considered three possible keys to getting the timing right.6
This week, with perfect timing, this powerful, insightful sermon showed up in my feed.
A second part can be heard here:
When God Says Wait[7] – Dr. Charles Stanley
(In Touch Ministries | Jul 10, 2020 | Time 32:00 min.) at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gygGZkMykRE
Waiting on God's Timing, Part 2In the Book of Mormon, we get a clear qualifier for ask, seek, knock:
(Time 55:16 min.) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFVM43iMSGo&t=2884s
26 ... as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you. (Book of Mormon | Moroni 7:26)And what is good? Could it be what is good for us and for others involved or impacted from God’s omniscient, omnipotent perspective?
------------------------------------/
1. Phrase used by pastor Charles Stanley in the above video.
“Charles Frazier Stanley Jr. (September 25, 1932 – April 18, 2023) was an American Southern Baptist pastor and writer. He was senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta for 49 years and took on emeritus status in 2020.... He founded and was president of In Touch Ministries which widely broadcasts his sermons through television and radio. He also served two one-year terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, from 1984 to 1986.”
2. Bread & Fish
(New Testament | John 6:33 - 35)
33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
(New Testament | John 6:51)
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
(Book of Mormon | Alma 5:34)
34 Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely;
(New Testament | Matthew 15:36 – 38; Mark 8:7+)
36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.
38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.
(New Testament | Mark 6:41 – 44; Luke 9:13+; John 69+)
41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
42 And they did all eat, and were filled.
43 And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
44 And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
(New Testament | John 21:12 - 13)
12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichthys
• https://robinsonsjewelers.com/blogs/news/what-does-the-fish-symbol-represent?srsltid=AfmBOopQ5RFGOwuo0_fABPSvzQIfmZqnHEOrM_94CX3mFN40eoYLmYkP
“The Fish Symbol's Spiritual Significance
Originating from the Greek word for fish, Ichthys (ΙΧΘΥΣ) is an acronym that stands for 'Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.' Early Christians would use the fish symbol to safely identify fellow believers without the risk of exposing their faith. The fish was chosen because of its subtlety and connection to several Biblical stories, including Jesus feeding 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. // Today, the fish symbol is still widely recognized, particularly in Christian communities, where it is often seen on cars, jewelry, and artwork. Wearing a fish pendant can serve as a personal statement of faith, humility, and devotion.”
• https://www.episcopalchurch.org/glossary/ichthus-ichths/
GOOD:
(Book of Mormon | Moroni 7:19 - 26; bea)
19 Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ.
20 And now, my brethren, how is it possible that ye can lay hold upon every good thing?
21 And now I come to that faith, of which I said I would speak; and I will tell you the way whereby ye may lay hold on every good thing.
22 For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting, behold, he sent angels to minister unto the children of men, to make manifest concerning the coming of Christ; and in Christ there should come every good thing.
23 And God also declared unto prophets, by his own mouth, that Christ should come.
24 And behold, there were divers ways that he did manifest things unto the children of men, which were good; and all things which are good cometh of Christ; otherwise men were fallen, and there could no good thing come unto them.
25 Wherefore, by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceeded forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing; and thus it was until the coming of Christ.
26 And after that he came men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the sons of God. And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you.
3. Why fully surrendering to God takes so long and hurt[s] so much | Worth it
(Aaron Kim | Mar 2, 2026 | Time 11:32 min.) at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeG0r9VpvXw
4. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2010/05/natural-man.html
5. “It’s a Miracle”
33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
(New Testament | John 6:51)
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
(Book of Mormon | Alma 5:34)
34 Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely;
(New Testament | Matthew 15:36 – 38; Mark 8:7+)
36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.
38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.
(New Testament | Mark 6:41 – 44; Luke 9:13+; John 69+)
41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
42 And they did all eat, and were filled.
43 And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
44 And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
(New Testament | John 21:12 - 13)
12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichthys
• https://robinsonsjewelers.com/blogs/news/what-does-the-fish-symbol-represent?srsltid=AfmBOopQ5RFGOwuo0_fABPSvzQIfmZqnHEOrM_94CX3mFN40eoYLmYkP
“The Fish Symbol's Spiritual Significance
Originating from the Greek word for fish, Ichthys (ΙΧΘΥΣ) is an acronym that stands for 'Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.' Early Christians would use the fish symbol to safely identify fellow believers without the risk of exposing their faith. The fish was chosen because of its subtlety and connection to several Biblical stories, including Jesus feeding 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. // Today, the fish symbol is still widely recognized, particularly in Christian communities, where it is often seen on cars, jewelry, and artwork. Wearing a fish pendant can serve as a personal statement of faith, humility, and devotion.”
• https://www.episcopalchurch.org/glossary/ichthus-ichths/
GOOD:
(Book of Mormon | Moroni 7:19 - 26; bea)
19 Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ.
20 And now, my brethren, how is it possible that ye can lay hold upon every good thing?
21 And now I come to that faith, of which I said I would speak; and I will tell you the way whereby ye may lay hold on every good thing.
22 For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting, behold, he sent angels to minister unto the children of men, to make manifest concerning the coming of Christ; and in Christ there should come every good thing.
23 And God also declared unto prophets, by his own mouth, that Christ should come.
24 And behold, there were divers ways that he did manifest things unto the children of men, which were good; and all things which are good cometh of Christ; otherwise men were fallen, and there could no good thing come unto them.
25 Wherefore, by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceeded forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing; and thus it was until the coming of Christ.
26 And after that he came men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the sons of God. And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you.
3. Why fully surrendering to God takes so long and hurt[s] so much | Worth it
(Aaron Kim | Mar 2, 2026 | Time 11:32 min.) at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeG0r9VpvXw
4. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2010/05/natural-man.html
5. “It’s a Miracle”
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_a_Miracle_(TV_series)
• https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0197161/
• https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0197161/episodes/
• Also Search YouTube for episodes
6. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2024/05/confused-about-israel-part-2-gathering.html
7. A few of many scriptures about WAITING:
(Old Testament | 2 Kings 6:33)
33 And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?
(Old Testament | Psalms 25:1 - 5)
1 UNTO thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.
3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. ...
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.
(Old Testament | Psalms 27:14)
4 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
(Old Testament | Psalms 33:20 - 21)
20 Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
(Old Testament | Psalms 37:7 - 10)
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
(Old Testament | Psalms 62:5)
5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
(Old Testament | Psalms 106:9 - 14)
9 He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.
10 And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11 And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.
12 Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.
13 They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:
14 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
(Old Testament | Psalms 130:5 - 6)
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
(Old Testament | Proverbs 20:22)
22 Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.
(Old Testament | Isaiah 26:8)
8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
(Old Testament | Isaiah 30:18)
18 ¶ And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
(Old Testament | Isaiah 40:31)
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
(Old Testament | Isaiah 64:4)
4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
(Old Testament | Lamentations 3:25 - 26)
25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
(Old Testament | Hosea 12:6)
6 Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.
(New Testament | Romans 8:22 - 25)
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
(New Testament | 2 Thessalonians 3:5)
5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
(Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 6:13)
13 Wherefore, they that fight against Zion and the covenant people of the Lord shall lick up the dust of their feet; and the people of the Lord shall not be ashamed. For the people of the Lord are they who wait for him; for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah.
(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 98:2)
2 Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament—the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted.
(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 133:45)
45 For since the beginning of the world have not men heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath any eye seen, O God, besides thee, how great things thou hast prepared for him that waiteth for thee.
• https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0197161/
• https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0197161/episodes/
• Also Search YouTube for episodes
6. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2024/05/confused-about-israel-part-2-gathering.html
7. A few of many scriptures about WAITING:
(Old Testament | 2 Kings 6:33)
33 And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?
(Old Testament | Psalms 25:1 - 5)
1 UNTO thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.
3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. ...
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.
(Old Testament | Psalms 27:14)
4 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
(Old Testament | Psalms 33:20 - 21)
20 Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
(Old Testament | Psalms 37:7 - 10)
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
(Old Testament | Psalms 62:5)
5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
(Old Testament | Psalms 106:9 - 14)
9 He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.
10 And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11 And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.
12 Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.
13 They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:
14 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
(Old Testament | Psalms 130:5 - 6)
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
(Old Testament | Proverbs 20:22)
22 Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.
(Old Testament | Isaiah 26:8)
8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
(Old Testament | Isaiah 30:18)
18 ¶ And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
(Old Testament | Isaiah 40:31)
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
(Old Testament | Isaiah 64:4)
4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
(Old Testament | Lamentations 3:25 - 26)
25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
(Old Testament | Hosea 12:6)
6 Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.
(New Testament | Romans 8:22 - 25)
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
(New Testament | 2 Thessalonians 3:5)
5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
(Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 6:13)
13 Wherefore, they that fight against Zion and the covenant people of the Lord shall lick up the dust of their feet; and the people of the Lord shall not be ashamed. For the people of the Lord are they who wait for him; for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah.
(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 98:2)
2 Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament—the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted.
(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 133:45)
45 For since the beginning of the world have not men heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath any eye seen, O God, besides thee, how great things thou hast prepared for him that waiteth for thee.
