February 15: Trusting His Provision.
HIS WILLINGNESS.
"How much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"--Matthew 7:11
When I was growing up, my parents made many sacrifices for me, so that I could have a good education and everything I needed. Many of us can relate to this because children become their parents' priority, even to the point of denying themselves essential things in order to provide for their children. This begins from the moment the children are born and often continues even after the parents are gone, as many plan to provide an inheritance for their adult children.
Jesus used this closest of human relationships (between a parent and a child) to teach us about God's willingness to give us all the good things that we need. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7). This famous saying of Jesus contains three synonymous imperatives: ask, seek, and knock, followed by three assurances" "It will be given...you will find...it will be opened." God, as the heavenly Father who is faithful and willing to provide for His children, had been introduced in the previous chapter (Matthew 6:25-34). Now Jesus encourages His followers to an ongoing mindset of trust in God's ability to surpass even the goodwill of earthly parents towards their children. Jesus uses a typical Jewish argument style called qal wahomer ("from lesser to greater"), showing that if the lesser is true, how much more is the greater true. If earthly parents, being sinful, know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more is our heavenly Father willing to give us the good things we need (verse 11). Jesus refers to the unthinkable scenario of a parent denying their child the typical Galilean meal (bread and fish) (verses 8, 9), and replacing it with something harmful (stone and snake). If parents can't fathom that option, why should we mistrust the willingness of our Heavenly Father? As we mentioned previously, (February 4), in Paul's words: "He who did not spare His own Son...how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32). Let's trust the willing heart of Him who gave Himself for us.
My Response:_________________________________________________________
HIS WILLINGNESS.
"How much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"--Matthew 7:11
When I was growing up, my parents made many sacrifices for me, so that I could have a good education and everything I needed. Many of us can relate to this because children become their parents' priority, even to the point of denying themselves essential things in order to provide for their children. This begins from the moment the children are born and often continues even after the parents are gone, as many plan to provide an inheritance for their adult children.
Jesus used this closest of human relationships (between a parent and a child) to teach us about God's willingness to give us all the good things that we need. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7). This famous saying of Jesus contains three synonymous imperatives: ask, seek, and knock, followed by three assurances" "It will be given...you will find...it will be opened." God, as the heavenly Father who is faithful and willing to provide for His children, had been introduced in the previous chapter (Matthew 6:25-34). Now Jesus encourages His followers to an ongoing mindset of trust in God's ability to surpass even the goodwill of earthly parents towards their children. Jesus uses a typical Jewish argument style called qal wahomer ("from lesser to greater"), showing that if the lesser is true, how much more is the greater true. If earthly parents, being sinful, know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more is our heavenly Father willing to give us the good things we need (verse 11). Jesus refers to the unthinkable scenario of a parent denying their child the typical Galilean meal (bread and fish) (verses 8, 9), and replacing it with something harmful (stone and snake). If parents can't fathom that option, why should we mistrust the willingness of our Heavenly Father? As we mentioned previously, (February 4), in Paul's words: "He who did not spare His own Son...how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32). Let's trust the willing heart of Him who gave Himself for us.
My Response:_________________________________________________________
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