Gifts Reflect The Giver

This morning I am reading out of Matthew 7:7-11 NIV:

[7] “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. [8] For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. [9] “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? [10] Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? [11] 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!"

Yesterday, at church and in my prayer time I was thinking about how the things that Jesus said, came directly from the Father (John 12:49), and how we can understand the Father's heart by listening to Jesus words. As I apply this reality to the promises Jesus spoke about, I encouraged, for these are not just the Words of Jesus, but they originate in the heart of the Father as well.

So looking at these verses, we see the promise of answered prayers, the promise of found answers and opened doors. This verse can sometimes be focused on by those who preach the prosperity Gospel, and I think other than the motive of the peoples hearts, they do correctly portray the Heart of the Father. He is so good, so faithful, so merciful, so compassionate, so loving, and so perfect compared to us. I know that I love to bless my children and my wife with good gifts. In comparison to God, I am pathetic and evil, yet the comparison Jesus speaks of here, indicates that the enjoyment I get out of giving good gifts to my children is similar to God's heart for me. God the Father loves to give good gifts to us. He is waiting for our heart cries, waiting to answer prayers, waiting to provide open doors, waiting to help us find answers.

In the last verse quoted above, the word that is translated ask, is the Greek word - Aiteo - whose definition is as follows: to ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require. The word generally does not relate to our wants, but our needs. This does not negate the gift, but again speaks of the motivation of the one who receives. We are often times unaware of our real needs, and focused on the things we want. God is totally aware of all things. He gives us good things - here the Greek word translated good is Agathos and the definition is as follows: 1. of good constitution or nature 2. useful, salutary 3. good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy 4. excellent, distinguished 5. upright, honourable. In other words, good! Things that are useful, pleasant and agreeable to us, bring us joy and happiness, are excellent, and honourable, things that reflect the heart of the giver.

Sometimes we are so focused on our need we are willing to accept anything more than what we have presently. God, won't give us a stone if we really need bread, or a snake if we really need a fish, but sometimes we would settle for these things, just because they are different than our present situation. I believe the Lord desires us to learn to look deeper, to ask rightly, to see our lives as He sees them, and to pursue and ask for the things that are the best for us, and those things He wants to give us. He wants us to learn what He is like, to learn to ask and trust that when He answers it will be good, very good, for the Father is perfectly good, and His gifts will reflect His nature and character.

So let us be encouraged by this promise of the Father, through Jesus' words, to ask, to seek, to knock. "For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."