S46P3 – A Father’s heart: meeting our needs

Luke 11:9-13

And I tell you, 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. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

I was “that kid” at dinner time.  The meals over which I might drool endlessly today did nothing to whet my childish and unsophisticated appetite back then.  These days, I jump at the chance to partake of one of my mom’s spreads of rice with beans and chicken, and perhaps some fried plantains and avocado.  I wish I had had the maturity to appreciate such delicious fare at the tender age of seven or eight.  Instead, I would have preferred a meal of cake and ice cream with a side of gummi bears.  There was no convincing me that my idea of a solid dinner was unhealthy and nothing that I needed.  My parents, on the other hand, knew better, and in their knowledge and wisdom they made sure that I received the nourishment I needed instead of the nonsense that I craved.  Our Father in heaven often must do the same with us.

We cannot be so naïve as to think that maturity in years brings with it the wisdom to make the best decisions for ourselves.  Even among those who have the Lord as their light, we are not always wise regarding our needs or what we think they should be.  If we take stock of our prayers and carefully consider the motivation behind our requests, I am confident that we would find some requests that are not necessarily in our best interests.  The good thing is that God is the gatekeeper.  Not only does He give us the things we need in this life, such as his Holy Spirit, but He also withholds those things which would serve us no good.  He works gently with us to make sure that our needs are met, and when we seek him for that which we need, we can be sure that our Father will meet that need in his wisdom.  His provision is one way in which his loves manifests.

When we need food, our Father satisfies us.  When we need finances, He writes the check.  When we need support and companionship, He provides fellowship and an inclined ear.  His perfect provision is one of the ways that He shows the world his glory.  When we proclaim Jehovah-jireh, it is a fundamental truth.  Humanity and even creation cried out for liberty, and the Father sent his Son to restore all that sin had corrupted.  Because of him “the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” [Rom. 8:21]  Father, thank You for meeting our every need as we cry out to You, and let our lives display to the world that You are the great provider.