"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 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!"
When I say, "Think about God," what comes into your mind? For me, it's a whole mix of things at different times: provider, protector, devoted, delight...and also disciplinarian, deserter, and destruction. There have certainly been times when I was feeling so in-love with my Lord, and other times when I have been so angry at Him for things in my life. This is a very important question: what really comes to mind when you think of God today? I recently read where A.W. Tozer said, "what comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." Why? I would imagine our view of God impacts everything we do, say, think, and value. Our view of God does 100% determine everything!
When my mom was dying, the Lord showed me a verse I had never seen before. It's always a delight to me to come across a new verse or passage of scripture and think, well, when did they put that in there? That's the thing about reading the Bible -- it never gets old. It is living and active, my friends. Anyway, the verse He showed me was Psalm 62:11, "One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving." I needed to cling to those truths with all my might as I faced the torrential battering of my soul those long months. Despite what was happening around me, I could know that God, my God, is strong (stronger than anything I was battling, and He had the power to stop it), and even more than that, He is loving (and He would not allow anything to happen that wasn't part of His plan in working for the good of those He loves). We must remember this, Christ Followers! That is who our God is!
What else is true of our God? Well, according to the above verses today, He is a good gift-giver! The only caveat is that we have to ASK, SEEK, or KNOCK. What does that mean? It means we are not going through life passively, expecting God to just fill our plates and do everything for us. He will give generously, but we need to be asking, seeking, and knocking. James 4:2 reminds us that "you do not have because you do not ask." I know sometimes I have been afraid to ask because I wonder if God will really give me what I ask. But look at this above verse, "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!" We are evil. Our motives are selfish most of the time, and yet, occasionally, we can give really good gifts to the people we love. If WE can give good gifts, imagine how good the gifts are that our loving Lord can give us...if we ask.
I remember when Josh and I were looking for a house, and I told God my little list of things I wanted in a home for our family. We kept being denied different houses throughout our search, and I thought Lord, what are you doing?! Then, we found the one we now live in (but that wasn't without a 9 month wait while living with my family), and He blessed us ten-fold -- including my favorite kind of tree that lines our back fence! If He cares about even these little, trivial things, how much more do you think He wants to bless you in the big things?
So, what do you REALLY want today? I just read Harry Potter last night as I was falling asleep (yes, I've boarded the bandwagon), and in Book 1 as I was reading last night, Harry finds a mirror that shows your heart's deepest desire: Harry got to see his family he never knew standing all around him and smiling and waving at him. So I ask you: what's your heart's deepest desire? Is it a financial need, a relational need, a ministry need, a family need, a vocational need? Maybe you just need a friend? Maybe you need to be able to pay your bills this month? Maybe you just need a vacation and a time of rest? Maybe you're desiring to do something for Him but you don't know how? Pray, my friend. Ask Him to give you what you need. Pour out the desires of your heart to Him, your heavenly Father who loves you. Whether it's a need or just a want, seek Him and ask. Let Him prove to you who He is.
Then, maybe the next time you think about God, the phrase that will come to mind will be generous gift-giver.
Remember your Lord, "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?" Romans 8:32
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." 1 Timothy 6:17
He is a good, loving, and generous God, my friends. Let Him bless you today! Keep your eyes open.
Thank you for this, molly! this post was a blessing to me :)
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