S225P6 – Our daily encouragement: our giver of gifts
Rom. 8:31-32
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 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?
Over the years in my relationship with the Lord, there have been many awesome things He has given me that I cannot say I surely thought would come to pass. I have asked God for what seemed like monumental blessings, and I have received many of them. I would see people participate in service and wish that God would give me the gifting to do the same. I would send people off on mission trips to the other side of the world and wish that God would send me, too. I would see people live more dependent on him and less dependent on the world or themselves, and I would ask for faith to live like that. As of today, each of those things has come to pass.
When we approach God without complete faith that He will do what we ask, it can be that our doubt is not in his ability but in whether He indeed is for us. Perhaps we think we just have not yet met the mark to deserve what we ask of him, or we think our request is not totally necessary so it will not be important to him. Other than asking for something outside of God’s will that is damaging, we cannot see God as a Father who withholds good things from his children just to do so. In fact, He desires good things for us because He makes a point to tell us that He gives good gifts. [Matt. 7:7-11] If He is willing to give his own Son as a gift for our liberation, willing to go to those lengths for us, then we have no reason to doubt that He will give us a whole host of good things to bring us victory in this life.
We do not chase God for what we can get from him, but the wise will understand that a relationship with God naturally yields blessings. We have a good Father who gives good gifts, and He enjoys blessing us. To care for his children is to give a testimony to the world of his goodness and lovingkindness. We can overreach on our requests and ask for things with the wrong motivation, and that is when we can expect God to answer in the negative. However, if our motivations are correct, and we seek that which is within the will of God, then we should expect our Father to bless us. After giving his Son, nothing can be too great. He is for us, and we have ample evidence of that. Father, give us the faith to seek and expect good gifts from You.