IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE

Many of us will remember the fun Canadian band from the 1980's, LOVERBOY, whose most famous hit was "WORKING FOR THE WEEKEND". In fact, I happened to be at the Illinois State Fair last summer when they played on '80's Night, and these dudes sounded just like they did 30 years ago!

The message of "everybody's working for the weekend" is universal. In fact, Jimmy Buffett once told us, it was 5 o'clock somewhere! Not to be outdone, perennial booze-soaked country crooner George Jones reminded us what he was going to do once it was "Finally Friday"!


You and I both work with, know people who, and maybe are ourselves - people who keep saying "I wish it was Friday"...and this is on Monday morning! Is this really a good thing? There's nothing wrong with anticipating that feeling of glorious freedom of walking out of the office, factory, shop, hair salon or retail store on a Friday night after a good long week of hard work! In fact, there is something rewarding about that.


But friends, the joy of that precise satisfaction is the acquired by daily living. The joy is in the journey to get there - the trials;  the trip-ups;  the telemarketing calls at dinner; the terrible boss (real or imagined); the tons of paper work or overtime at the shop where a wave of clients just hit you like a tone of bricks....that's living, baby!


Jesus said, in so many words, that you have not, because you ask not. A verse which stood out to me yesterday is one we know well, from Matthew 7:7 NLT "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you".


Instead of wishing your life away and hoping it was Friday, before you even get to work on Monday, why not ask the Lord for the Ability, Attitude and Appreciation it takes to make it through that morning. As the morning goes, so goes the rest of the day!


The verse Jesus gave us is all present tense. So let's briefly break it down:

KEEP ON ASKING - The literal meaning is, "why not make a petition to Me"?! People will sign almost any petition for the cause they believe in! Well then - sign this one! Ask the Lord!

YOU WILL RECEIVE - He says, literally, "I offered"....and "it will be bestowed upon you"! If you walk with Him, He walks with you....and as James says "all good things come from the Father of Lights!

KEEP ON SEEKING - Literally, Jesus says "why don't you look into it, hoss?" Come on, man....we have the Greatest Gift of all - the Love of Jesus, and we don't look into having Him clear the way for us (by praying every morning)!

YOU WILL FIND - Again, He promises us a "Eureka" moment that if we pursue Him - VOILA - there He is AND you will not be disappointed at what you discover, not just for your personal benefit, but MAINLY ABOUT HIM!

KEEP ON KNOCKING - You will definitely like this one. The Lord is LITERALLY saying come on "beat down this door and ask Me, big time (with respect of course) to open it! The meaning is not just a tap on the door knocker, but doing all you can to say "LET ME IN"...into this blessing You have for me!

THE DOOR WILL BE OPENED - The original word "anoigo" follows the part about you beating down the door for Jesus to answer...because the reward for actively pursuing Him in ASKING, SEEKING AND KNOCKING IS THIS - HE BREAKS DOWN THE DOOR FOR YOU TO COME IN!  This is what the original word means!

Now, when 5 o'clock somewhere comes and the whistle blows, Katie bar the door...and we're off to hopefully, the best weekend in modern history. While it may be well-deserved, the moment by moment joy of living the Blessed Life, is doing exactly what Matthew 7:7 gives us - EACH AND EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK ...from Monday morning traffic to Friday afternoon starting pistols, out of the parking lot at quitting time! 

(image by google)

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