I was doing my usual quiet time this morning, read in proverbs first, & decided to just randomly flip open to a page & see what I found. I landed on Matthew 7. I read through it & found several things that I liked. The one that really caught my eye was Matthew 7:9-11. I read it again & then looked at the life application study notes at the bottom of the page. Now that's a rarity that I would even take the time to look at the study notes because I usually don't take the time to do that. So here's what I got...
Matthew 7:9-11
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!
The life application notes are this...
7:9,10
The child in Jesus' example asked his father for bread & fish - good & necessary items. If the child had asked for a poisonous snake, would the wise father have franted his request?
Sometimes God knows we are praying for "snakes" & does not give us what we ask for, even though we persist in our prayers. Nore will God give us "stones" or "snakes" instead of what we need.
As we learn to know God better as a loving Father, we learn to ask for what is good for us, & then he grants it.
7-11
Christ is showing us the heart of God the Father. God is not selfish, begrudging, or stingy, & we don't have to beg or grovel as we come with our requests.
He is a loving Father who understands, cares, & comforts. If humans can be kind, imagine how kind God, the Creator of kindness, can be.
This scripture spoke to me this morning & I wanted to share it. Seeing this today helps me to see that perhaps some of the things that I'm praying for are not what is best for me or what I really need & that's why I haven't seen an answer to some of my prayers. This is just a really good reminder about prayer & how great our God is. He knows us! He knows what we need & he'll give us what we need, when we need it.
This is an area I need to grow in & remember because it goes very much hand in hand with the trust issues I have. I know God is a good, faithful & just God, a god who knows how to give good gifts to his children. He's good!
Wow awesome post. I have often asked for things which I did not get. But then when I looked back I'm glad I wasn't given what I asked for.
ReplyDeleteMe too! I still do at times. These verses spoke to me this morning & I knew I had to share them on here.
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