How much more
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:13
This verse was part of yesterday’s scripture reading, but I don’t want to pass it up without talking about it. Mostly because it compares God’s love for us to our love for our own children here in the world, but God’s loves is so much greater. When you consider how much you love your own children, or if you do not have children yet, how much your parents love you, why would anyone think that God wants to harm or do anything other than show us how much He loves us.
It says that if we as fallen, imperfect people know how to do good for our own children, certainly God has so much more love for His children. It actually says He gives good things when we ask for them. Not just the good things that are in His heart to give. This message is reinforced throughout scripture. Romans 8:32 says it this way: He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? He didn’t even hold back His greatest and best gift for us, His only Son. Think about it, if He was going to keep something from us, wouldn’t it be the One thing that was most precious to Him? Or look at it the other way. He made provision for us in Christ Jesus, the greatest, perfect gift. Is that gift lacking in anything that we need in this world? Our salvation includes forgiveness, but it also includes His Spirit, His love, goodness, power, blessing, strength, peace and well being. This is nothing lacking because He is our good Father that has given us all things that pertain to this life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3)
In another passage, Jesus goes a step further to say: so whatever good things you want people to do for you, do that for them. I consider this in my own life. Because I like to give, I am now asking myself are the gifts I give the things that I want or like or are they things I want to get rid of and am finished using. Are they things that don’t cost a lot so I can give the appearance of being a giver, but I don’t want to give what I want for myself first? This is a tough question and one that deserves thorough examination, especially when it comes to loving those who are not children of God, yet. Am I willing to be a generous giver to show people what God, my Father, is really like?
Today I would encourage you to do two things: First, become more aware of how much God, your heavenly Father loves you and wants to give you the good things you need and desire in your life. He is not holding back, and He is not hiding them from you. Ask today for the things you have need and even the things you want. Then ask Him to show you the path to take to get in line with all the blessings He has stored up for your life. Second, ask Him to strengthen and empower you to be a generous giver also. Ask Him to show you when and what you can give when the opportunity is there. Show the world around you the love and generosity of God by being a generous giver of all things like He is.
Today’s scripture reading: Luke 11:9-13
9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?
12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
The Daily Dose 