Daily Devotional #1892

Did you ever want something so much and you kept praying to God for it or for it to happen...and it didn't. You asked and you didn't get. Jesus was talking to a crowd one day and gave what we call The Sermon on the Mount. And towards the end he said "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?" His point was that most parents who are broken people like everyone else, know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will God give to those who ask him. But what if we turned it around? Kids will ask for the craziest things. What if that son came and said "Give me a big rock to eat for lunch today." Or what if he said, "I really want a rattlesnake to kill and eat on my own"? What kind of parent would do that for a youngster that they loved? And I know what you are thinking, they are asking for things that won't help, but will actually hurt them. And I love them enough to not give them what they asked for. What we need to remember is that what you and I ask for isn't always God's will for us. He may know that even though it seems good, right or just really cool... that it isn't the best for us or it isn't the right time for it. Remember God loves you and wants you to ask, but when God seems to say "No" it isn't out of meanness or just being stingy. He wants the best for us. Jesus encourages us to ask and receive; to seek and to find and to knock and have that door opened for you. God will give us good gifts...not things that will hurt us, draw us away from him or aren't for right now. So keep praying and ask God to let you see what he sees about your requests that you make to this God of the Bible. And don't ever forget that he loves you more than any one ever has or ever could. Here's our Bible verse for today... 
Matthew 7:11 So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 
Remember I'm praying for you, 
PJ