CAN I HAVE A COOKIE

Raise your hand if you consider yourself BOLD? If you held up your hand, then I want to be one of the first to say that I am in awe. When I think of being bold, I think of a lion, something courageous and confident. I think of something or someone who knows what they want and expects to get their wishes.

A lion struts, he is proud, and he has no fear. A bold person will also have some of those traits. They may have fear, but they will press through the circumstance anyway with confidence that everything will work out fine. They may have flaws, but they know that their strengths will overcome the flaws. Failure might be the outcome of their courage, but they know that success will eventually be theirs if they persevere.

Instead of being bold, I would consider myself the complete opposite. I think of a mouse instead of a lion. I think of being shy, scared, timid, and not believing that my wants will be answered. How many of you have ever been in a crowd where a question has been asked? When you are timid, even if you know the answer or have a great response, you will not raise your hand. Instead, you will berate yourself when someone else answers with the answer that you had in your mind. Is being timid bad?

While I might secretly envy those who are bold, sometimes I can also be irritated by their boldness. I think of them as “cocky” and sometimes even rude. They might hog all of the spotlights and talk on and on about themselves. And, sometimes the timid person seems aloof and give off the impression that they think they are better than others. The truth is, they are scared of rejection, and they don’t want to put themselves out “there” where they can be hurt.

However, my Bible verse this morning seems to suggest that Jesus rewards the BOLD.

Luke 11:5-8

⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; ⁶ a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ ⁷ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ ⁸ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

Wait, is Jesus suggesting in this parable that “persistence” is what pays off? Instead of getting out of bed because he was a “friend,” the man answered the door because the man was bold and audacious? I don’t know about you, but I would think that I would be irritated at someone being persistent. Unless…

How many of you have children or grandchildren? They are the true testament when it comes to persistence and not taking no for an answer. See if you have heard this before.

“Mom, can I have a cookie?” No, it is almost time for dinner. “But, mom, can I have just one cookie?” No, it will ruin your appetite. “Why? Please, just one small cookie.” NO! And don’t ask me again! “Please, please, please. I’ll kiss you if you give me a cookie.” No, I said that you couldn’t have a cookie! “Pretty please with sugar on top???” No, No, No! If you ask me one more time, I am going to tell your father! Two minutes go by….”Mom, can I have a cookie?” FINE! Just one cookie and it better be small.

LOL! Children expect to get what they want. They will ask again and again and again.

Luke 11:9-10

⁹ “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Once again, even in my prayer life, I am even timid. I might timidly ask for something, but I don’t want to ask over and over again. I don’t want to be irritating. I know that the Lord heard my first request, so asking again would be rude, or would it? The Lord is not like you and me. He doesn’t get irritated or get in a bad mood when we come to him with our requests.

1 John 5:14-15

¹⁴ This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Ask, seek, knock. Have confidence when approaching God.

Matthew 18:3

³ And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus might not have been talking about praying boldly when he said to be like the little children, but I still think that it might have similar consequences.

So, you can still be timid in a room full of people and not raise your hand, But, when it comes to talking to the Lord, be bold and confident in your prayers. He is your Father, and He will bless your persistence.

Have A Blessed Day!