Words from the Rock
You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
Matthew 7:9–11 NLT
It might not always seem like it, especially to a teenager, but most parents want the best for their kids. They want to give them nice things and make sure all their needs are met. That’s just part of being a good parent. And even when parents have to sacrifice to provide, they’re usually glad to do it—because they love their kids. And yet these are earthly parents, and they are just human—and, as you probably know, they are not perfect.
But God, on the other hand, is perfect. And he is the most loving parent in the universe. So loving, in fact, that he provides abundantly for all his creation—whether they believe in him or not. He’s designed the planet to provide our basic needs (like food, water, oxygen, and sunlight), as well as making it extremely scenic with beautiful sights (like lakes, oceans, mountains, and forests) for our pleasure and enjoyment.
And that’s just the beginning. Because there is much more that he is ready to share. He has life-impacting gifts (like peace, joy, and love) that he wants to pour on us. Our heavenly Father is able to do much more than what any earthly parent can dream of. But he needs us to be ready—ready to receive. Jesus is trying to help us grasp this concept—to understand that God, the perfect and loving heavenly Father, is ready to give every good and perfect gift to us. But first he wants us to come to him—and ask.
My Prayer
Dear God,
Help me to understand how much you love me. Help me to come to you for all my needs, knowing that you want to give only the very best to me.
Amen.
Final Word
Our LORD and our God,
you are like the sun
and also like a shield.
You treat us with kindness
and with honor,
never denying any good thing
to those who live right.
Psalm 84:11 CEV
Stone for the Journey
My heavenly Father is ready to give me more good things than I can begin to imagine.