God Gives Good Gifts
“Which of
you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a
fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to
give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give
good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew
7:9-11
In the classic movie The
Christmas Story, there is a Christmas morning scene where all the presents
have been opened – wrapping paper is thrown everywhere, the room is littered
with toys and gifts, and mom and dad are reclining on the sofa while little
Randy and older brother Ralphie play with their new toys. Everything is bliss,
except for one nagging thought in Ralphie’s mind – he didn’t get the Daisy BB
gun he wanted so badly.
Ralphie had hinted about what he wanted on many
occasions, even blurting it out at the dinner table. He had told his friends
about it and even wrote an essay about it. And just to cover all his bases, he
even told Santa Clause. But none of them, not even Santa, gave him much hope.
They all told him the same thing: “You’ll shoot your eye out!”
But that didn’t deter little Ralphie. He still wanted
that BB gun more than anything. And sure enough, there was one present back
behind the tree that his father pointed out to him. It was the right size, the
right shape, and as he ripped the wrapping paper off, Ralphie’s dream gun was
finally in his hands. And his father was nearly as happy as he was, trying to
stop from smiling from ear to ear as Ralphie was beside himself with
excitement.
Those of us who are familiar with the movie know what
happens next – Ralphie goes outside to try out his new gun and a BB ricochets
off the target and hits him in the eyeglasses, shattering them. Poor Ralphie
had shot his eye out, just as everyone had predicted.
Which begs the point, didn’t his father know that might
happen? He must have, as his wife didn’t seem very approving of the gift, as if
they had discussed it. And yet he gave his son a BB gun anyway. Whether right
or wrong, good judgment or bad, the father wanted to make his child happy.
And that is our heavenly Father’s heart towards us. He wants
to make us happy.
Even better, our heavenly Father knows what is best for
us and has far better judgment than our earthly fathers. Our earthly fathers
did what they could to give us good gifts and make us happy, although many
times they likely fell short. And, unfortunately, some dads weren’t there at
all for their kids and the pain of that absence still lingers in the hearts of
their children today.
Whatever the case, whether our earthly fathers were good
gift-givers or not, let’s rest in the love and good judgment of our Heavenly
Father today. He knows not only what we need, but also what we want. He knows
what will give us great joy, and He knows what will leave us feeling empty and
let down when the glitter rubs off and the wrappings hit the floor. He knows
what bring lasting happiness and what gives pleasure only for a moment.
So go to your Heavenly Father and ask for your heart’s
desires, knowing that He loves you unconditionally and He will provide those
things that will bring you true joy and lasting happiness. Don’t worry if your
dream is too large or too small – his resources are limitless and yet he cares
about you and the smallest details of your life. Just go to Him and talk to
Him, much like Ralphie did when he wanted a BB gun. Your request doesn’t have
to be smooth, well-planned, or eloquent; it just has to be heart-felt.
And then be ready to receive more than you asked for
because our Father knows how to give good gifts to those who ask Him. In fact,
be ready to receive God Himself, as in Luke 11:11-13, Jesus says these same
words with a twist – He promises that our Heavenly Father will give the Holy
Spirit to those who ask Him!
So ask Him today,
right now. Ask for good gifts, for your heart’s desire, for the Holy Spirit to
come and live inside you. God Himself – in the form of the Holy Spirit, the
breath of God – will come and take up residence in your innermost being. He
will be a part of you in a way that He never has before, and He will lead you
into all truth, every good gift, and every desire of your heart that lines up
with His will for your life.
After all, not only does He love you with an undying
love, He also knows you better than you know yourself. So don’t hesitate, don’t
be afraid to ask for too much or too little or for the wrong thing. Just keep
asking, keep seeking, keep knocking, knowing that you can trust Him to give you
what is best for you. He knows how to give good gifts, and it is His delight to
give you the Holy Spirit – His presence living inside of you.
Pray with me: Heavenly
Father, thank you that you love me and that you know me better than I know
myself. You know my needs, my wants, my heart’s desires. And you not only know
what my future holds, you also hold my future in your hands. So I come to you
today asking you for good gifts, for good things large and small, and
especially for your Holy Spirit to come and live inside me. Come and live in me
even as I strive to live in You, and I know you will lead me into every good
thing that you have for me. Lead me even now, as I begin asking you to move in
my life circumstances…continue praying as you are led…
For further study, meditate on these Scriptures:
Luke 11:11-13 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a
fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a
scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to
those who ask him!"
John 14:15-21 "If you love me, you will obey what I command. And
I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you
forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither
sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in
you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the
world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also
will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in
me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who
loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him
and show myself to him."
John 14:25-27 "All this I have spoken while still with you. But
the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will
teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace
I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Rom 8:31-32 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God
is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave
him up for us all-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all
things?
Eph 1:17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that
you may know him better.
Please use this blog for
personal devotional use and feel free to share it with friends and family.
However, all publishing rights are reserved. No reproduction or publication of
this blog is permitted without the permission of the author, Pastor Randy
Brockett of New Song
Foursquare Church
in Colorado Springs , Colorado
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