GOoDLifePre-Cepts
KeviJ
For many of you who may not know, one of my sisters was born with the same liver disease my eldest daughter, Angel, was born with, Biliary Atresia. Keisha has had 3 liver transplants in her lifetime and has suffered from seizures that have significantly hindered her ability to live a “normal” life. However, she is one of the most intelligent people I know. Each week, she has only one request of my earthly dad, who takes care of her: she likes to eat a fish plate from Captain D’s. Without fail — rain, sleet, snow, or shine — he honors that commitment to grant her request for a fish plate from Captain D’s because it’s a small but meaningful ritual that reflects his constant love for her. Every time I read the passage we’re focusing on today, I think of the image of my earthly dad and sister, and the earthly love that motivates him to respond to her simple ask. It’s an imperfect reflection of our heavenly Father’s heart.
“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!” ~Matt 7:9-10 NLT
There’s no good thing that the Father – Lord of all the earth – would withhold from those who love Him and call on His name, making a request. The first thing we should learn from this text is that Jesus is “relatable.” He’s using everyday images to drive home the profound truth in this context: “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” A parent engaging with a child. Would it not be absurd to believe God would answer our prayers with something that would be ‘harmful’ to us? The point is, God is not indifferent or cruel; He is a loving Father. This was never about performance; it was always about the relationship.
Earthly parents, flawed as we are, still aim to bless our children. I know there are some parents who have done some pretty unthinkable things to their children; these are rare cases. And thankfully, I don’t know any of those parents. The parents I know want to bless their children and keep them from harm of any kind. God’s love, however, exceeds every earthly standard since He is supernatural. Should we not expect that a holy, loving, generous, and wise Father would give us only good things? If it is never the intention of an earthly parent to harm their children willingly, neither is it God’s. What if God’s greatest gift to us isn’t a thing, but Himself?
If God were offering you and me His presence, to live in us as a constant companion and counselor, would we agree to receive such a gift? God wants us to know that we should not be fearful or worry about things like food, drink, and clothing, or anything people far from Him who don’t have Him as their Father worry about. His highest intention for us is that we live knowing He’s with us and will never fail us. At this point, our intention should shift; we shouldn’t be praying for things, but instead for His presence to be made manifest in and through us in every circumstance so that we manifest His heart to the world around us, which we were called to influence. I understand that some people have given up praying a long time ago. They’ve prayed for things, and they didn’t believe God answered. It’s like putting money in a slot machine. When you don’t win after playing so many times, you just walk away, and many times don’t go back that direction, since you conclude that it doesn’t work. Be encouraged, God is not like a slot machine. He knows and loves us and will only give us what is best for us, every time. This much we must trust about Him.
This passage is intended to help us move past misconceptions about God, overcome disappointments from past unanswered prayers, and any unworthiness or fear of asking. We have a clear mandate; it is not until we ask, and keep on asking, in faith, that we will receive. It’s not until we knock and keep on knocking in faith that the door will open. And indeed, if we are not continually seeking, we won’t find the thing we’re looking for.
Here are my Points to Ponder from the Passage:
Ask boldly, and ask Big!
Recalibrate your view of God; He’s bigger and greater than what you can imagine!
Stop expecting stones when He clearly wants to give you bread.
Scriptures for Reference:
Matthew 7:9-11: Luke 11:11-13
Ending in prayer: Father, help me to realize that I’m most powerful when I’m on my knees. Grant me the courage to return to a posture of prayer, expecting You to be the loving, gracious, and kind Father You are.
