Matthew 7:9-11 “Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are 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!”

I heard a pastor tell a story a few years ago. He spoke of a boy from a privileged family, a boy who had everything he ever wanted since his dad was very wealthy. This boy went to a private higher-educational concern and as he was approaching graduation, he noticed that all his friends – also from wealthy, privileged families – were receiving new automobiles for graduation gifts. He told his father that a new car was what he wanted for a graduation gift, and so he and his Dad went car hunting for the perfect car, and the found it! The boy was so excited! On graduation day, the ceremony took forever. The boy wanted nothing more than to go drive his new car. After the ceremony, the family went out to eat and then finally they went home. The boy was craning his head around looking for tell-tale signs of the new car, but didn't see anything. When they arrived at the house, the father said “Son, I have something for you, the most precious thing in the whole world” and pulled out a package. The son opened the package, thinking it was the auto manual and a key, but alas, it was only a nice, leather-bound Bible with his name engraved on it. The boy was crushed. He shouted some things he should not have – things involving the words “hate” “never see” “you” again” etc. And the boy ran out the door. Years later the father died. The boy, keeping his angry words, didn't even go see him in his final hours, but the boy did go home to the old house after the funeral. Walking around the house, he saw his graduation Bible standing proudly, there on the shelf, next to his Father's worn bible. He pulled the Bible down and opened it, and there on the dedication page he saw a personal note from his Father and a check for the exact amount for the car he had wanted those decades ago.

Our heavenly Father is a loving father, just like the one in the story. He loves to dote on us, but at the same time He wants what is best for us. What if we asked for a snake or a scorpion? What if He gave us bread and we said that we wanted rocks instead? He knows what is best for us; a rock will not feed our hunger! But often times we ask for the wrong things and things we think are best for us. God knows and so He does not give it to us. He would rather give us that nice warm loaf of bread than the stone we want to chew on. When He does give us the bread instead of the stone we pout and throw a tantrum because it was not what we wanted! God knows it is better for us! In the story the boy wanted a car, His dad gave him something more valuable than the car, but because the boy did not see anything related to the car and ran away, he didn't get the car as well.

People use these verses to justify asking for things, for stuff, for toys, for gratification. That isn't what these verses are about. These verses are about God's provision for us. We need to learn what to ask for. So how do we do that? We need to pray. We need to pray to know God's will. We need to pay to receive the blessings and guidance that He wants to give us and shower us with. We need to pray that instead of concentrating our efforts on achieving the right grades or doing well in our ministries or jobs, we are instead concentrating all of our self to being in God's will. When we are firmly ensconced in His perfect will, everything we ask for is Good! Let us pray then – pray for ourselves, our neighbors, our friends, and our leaders to know the will of the Most High.

The King of love my shepherd is,
whose goodness faileth never.
I nothing lack if I am His,
and He is mine forever.