BIBLE PASSAGE:
“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!”
(Matthew 7:11)
MEDITATION:
If you are a parent, then you know how much a child wants to be comforted
when afraid. No matter how many times your child asks to be reassured, you
respond to them, right? At night they may ask you to let them keep a night
light on, and even though you think it will keep them awake longer, you plug
one in for them.
Why would you do that? Because you know their needs are different
than your needs. Because you know that they are afraid of things that
they believe will ‘come after them’ in the dark. Because you know they
need to be reassured when they are fearful. But most importantly, you
do it because you love them.
Children look to their parents for reassurance because they know they
love them, and because they have confidence that they will protect them
from evil. Your children might (and probably do) ask over and over for
things they want. When they ask for things they are not ready for, as a
caring parent you either tell them no, or you tell them to wait until they
are older.
For instance, you are not going to get an automobile for a ten-year-old.
You might get them a toy car so they can pretend, but never a real one.
Why not? Because you know they can get hurt when they have something
they are not old enough to use. You know that they do not have the proper
understanding of the dangers of something that powerful. They also do not
have the physical ability to properly operate it.
Although you would like to please them with gifts, you love them enough
to ‘hold back’ on things you know will be harmful for them, and possibly
others. Your children are God’s gift to you, and you know that you have
a responsibility to love and protect them.
So, when your children ask over and over to be reassured, you may wonder
when they will stop asking, but you never get tired of responding to their
fears. That’s the response of parents who love their children. You want
your children to know that you and your spouse are always there to love
and protect them.
If we know that one of the privileges of a parent is to reassure and comfort
their children, then why are we sometimes reluctant to let our Heavenly
Parent reassure and comfort us? Why do we have thoughts like,
“I’ll bet He gets tired of hearing the same old stuff from me”
Why would we assume that each time we ask Him for forgiveness,
He reviews His list of our requests and says,
“You have already asked for that”
Why do we fail to allow our Heavenly Father to do for us what we
are willing to do for our own children?
There is no real ‘playbook’ for being a parent, and it can be the toughest
job you will ever love. Much of our parenting is a result of what we have
learned from our own parents. Consequently, we can make some of the
same mistakes our parents made with us. However, we can also do some
of the things they did right.
Our children need to have the assurance that we will always provide for,
and protect them. When they are upset, they need to know they can come
to us for comforting and consoling. By His design, God gives moms and
dads different abilities which complement each other.
With the challenges and demands of being a parent, we can make many
unintended mistakes, but through it all, our children need to know that
they are loved. Our Heavenly Father doesn’t make mistakes and all that
He does is intended for our good (including His disciplinary actions). We
may not like His discipline, but as we mature spiritually, we can see the
positive results of His actions, and we are assured of His love for us.
Being a parent should teach us that when we are afraid, we have,
a Father who is ready to comfort us;
a Father who will hold us until we are better;
a Father who will reassure us when we are fearful;
a Father who will ‘hold back’ on our wants (for our own benefit),
but will not ‘hold back’ on our needs;
a Father who will surprise us with blessings (good gifts) we never expected;
a Father who loves us, protects us, and gives us the things that are good for us;
a Father who will not sleep when He knows we need to be comforted.
ACTION:
You may be a parent and the ‘rock of security’ to your children, but you
still remain a child in the eyes of God, and He is your ‘rock of security’.
What is preventing you from allowing your Heavenly Father to comfort
you? Have you ‘matured’ to the point that you no longer feel like a child?
Have you put aside your ‘childish faith’ and dependence on your Father?
The scriptures say,
“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith”
(Ephesians 3:26)
Have you allowed the things of the world to desensitize your dependence
on the Lord? Is your unhealthy pride and egotism preventing you from
being honest about your needs? Pride in doing a good job is admirable,
but independent pride can fuel your arrogance and self-sufficiency.
How do you react to the things and people around you, including what
goes on at the church you attend? Do you allow the things you disagree
with to disrupt your worship time with the Lord? Has Satan caused you
to lose sight of your purpose for attending worship services (maybe to the
point of attending less, or not at all)?
He can do that, can’t he? If he can create a critical attitude in us, then he
has gained a foothold on our spirituality, and our relationship with our
Creator. Certainly, we should compare things we hear from the pulpit to
see if it aligns with God’s Word, but Satan can cause us to become overly
sensitive to other things as a distraction.
We might not like the presentation skills of the one God has called to full
time ministry, or we may feel it is too hot, or too cold in the sanctuary. The
order of service or the selection of songs may not be what we like. See how
easily Satan can distract us to the point where we are no longer there to
spend time worshipping and learning more about our Lord and Savior?
Are you reluctant to ask for God’s forgiveness over and over and over again?
Are you hesitant to ask Him more than once for things you need? If there are
things you want, do you trustingly ask your Father for them? And if you do
ask Him, do you have faith that He will only give you the things that will be
beneficial for you, and not the things that are dangerous to your spiritual
well-being?
Are you prepared to receive only the ‘good gifts’ from your Heavenly Father,
or will you welcome His discipline as well, because you know it shows that He
loves you? None of us welcome discipline, but we need to remember that God’s
discipline can be our assurance that we belong to Him and He loves us.
And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement
that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son,
do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart
when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he
loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
(Hebrews 12:5-6)
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I pray that you will help me to see, understand,
and trust that You are always there with me during bad times as
well as the good. Like a child, help me to realize that when I hold
out my hand and ask You to be with me, You will walk with me,
You will comfort me, You will encourage me, and You will be my
guide. Teach me to have faith and trust that I’ll never be alone,
even in the darkest times. Create in me an attitude of dependence
on You so that I will not have an attitude of independence which
excludes You. Thank You for assuring me in Your Word that You
will never leave or forsake me! Thank You for saving me and for
blessing me in many ways, and for being my Heavenly Father
who loves me!”
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