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WisconsinChristianNews.com
Volume 26, Issue 8
What Did Jesus Mean When He Said ‘Knock and It Will Be Opened To You?’
By Carey Kinsolving January 2026 “I keep on asking my mom if I can play Nintendo, and she finally says yes,” says Clyde, 7. Well, Clyde, there’s no doubt you’ve learned that per- sistence pays off. Your mother knows this, too. Give your mom a break, and apply that same persistence to things of God. You might be surprised at how much more rewarding it is. “When you are dead, you are knocking on the door to get into heaven. When you ask to come in, the door will open,” says Connor, 6. Jokes abound about Saint Peter examining creden- tials for entering the pearly gates. Some people believe in second chances such as reincarnation. Let’s see what the Bible says.
seeking. To illustrate what He meant, Jesus asked, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11). Even evil people give good gifts to their children. How much more does a good God give gifts to His children who ask? This is where persistence pays huge dividends. The key is to make sure you’re asking for the right things and persist in asking, seeking and knocking.
“Don’t quit following Jesus for one day. He will reward you,” says Grace, 10.
In the context of knocking, this is persistent prayer for the advance of God’s purpose and plan. We can pray boldly and confidently about many sit- uations revealed in Scripture.
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear
For example, we know it’s God’s will for Chris- tians to pray for government leaders “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” (I Timothy 2:2).
“If you keep asking Jesus into your heart, someday He will come,” says Sara, 8.
the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him, He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” (Hebrews 9:27-28).
Sara, Jesus isn’t reluctant to impart His life to those who want it. Begging isn’t required. Jesus freely gives His eternal life to anyone who will “believe in Him,” as John 3:16 so clearly states.
Think about this: Knocking on heaven’s door on behalf of our coun- try and friends is a ministry to which every Christian is called.
Jesus died for our sins one time, and we have one life in which to decide whether we’ll trust Him with our eternal destiny.
Memorize this truth: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7).
“Keep on trying hard, and you will receive everlasting life,” says Bruce, 11.
If our eternal destiny isn’t at stake here, why did Jesus command us to knock?
Ask this question: Do you believe in the goodness of God so that you will persist in asking Him for good things that glorify Him? KidsTalkAboutGod.org
This is a common belief that appeals to our pride. Many things in this life are earned by persistent hard work. Eternal life is not one of them. The price is higher than anyone can pay. That’s why God sent the Lord Jesus to pay the price for us.
“If you pray for something, and God doesn’t answer it right away, He will answer you if you keep on praying,” says Gerald, 6.
When Jesus spoke of knocking, He also mentioned asking and
An Appalachian Winter
By Sean Dietrich January 2026
short sleeves, with fair skin that looks so cold the freckles seem to be jumping right off her arms.
Someone is watching when her oldest daugh- ter begs her mom for deodorant because she is embarrassed about stinking at school.
that I couldn’t miss you.”
Visiting an Appalachian Walmart at 8 o’clock in the evening is unlike any other experience.
The young woman is confused. “What are you talking about?”
Rural Appalachian dwellers are unique unto themselves. Cautious of outsiders. Not always friendly. They have trust issues. Trust is a commodity among such strong and self-sufficient people. Distrust of strangers is their first line of defense. Understandably so. Namely, because cyclical poverty in the Appalachian region hangs around like a bad cold. One out of every four kids in Appalachia lives below the poverty line. One out of every five or six houses within these mountains is food insecure. The leading killer in the rural Appalachian health crisis is over- dose.
“That man,” says the lady, pointing toward the doors. “He just left. Said he knew you.”
The woman sees no man at the door.
“He left these gift cards for you. He was from some church, he said. Said you wouldn’t accept them from him, not unless some random per- son gave them to you.” The woman’s face hardens. Distrust wells up inside her. Her Appalachian heritage is showing — if something sounds too good to be true, run.
“What?” says the young mother.
She doesn’t think anyone notices her as she wanders each aisle, her quiet children following dutifully beside her. She doesn’t think anyone notices her eyeing the price tags, performing incredible feats of mental math which only the Have-Nots are capable of.
When the mother passes the dairy section, an older woman is waving her arm, flagging her down. “Excuse me,” The older woman says. “Is your name…?” Then she says the young woman’s name. A jolt of icy adrenaline shoots through the mother’s veins. How does this lady know her name? Why is she stopping her in the middle of the store? Something must be wrong.
The lady hands her a stack of gift cards. “He made me promise to stand here and wait for you.”
There aren’t many things in life worth trust- ing.
Which is why there isn’t much chatter in the Walmart aisles. Not even from the children. Everyone’s faces are sort of tired. There is a weighted melancholy in the air. Many shoppers are wearing what amounts to ragged pajamas. Some children aren’t wearing coats, although it’s snowing.
The woman is afraid to touch them. This has to be an evil trick. But it’s not.
But someone is watching her.
Each gift card is loaded with $500. There are 10 cards in total. And as I write these words, the young mother still has not exhausted the balance.
Someone is watching when her youngest tries on shoes in the shoe department because his are tattered. Someone is watching when she buys a pair of adult work gloves because these are cheaper than children’s mittens.
“This story can’t be true,” says the skeptic.
There is one young mother, with four children in tow, she is wearing flip flops.
“That’s my name,” says the mother. “Why?”
Well, I’m sorry, but you’ll just have to trust me.
The lady smiles. “Nothing’s wrong, ma’am. The man said you’d have super red hair and
Her hair is violently red. She is lean, wearing
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