good gifts

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him.

Matthew 7:11

This blows my mind. Completely radically blows my mind. Like, I'm sitting here and I'm still trying to grasp it, still trying to believe it. A part of me believes if I like something or if I desire something, then it must be wrong. It must be an idol. The Lord must not want me to have that... And all the while He's saying He wants to give me gifts, He wants to grant me joy - He is GLORIFIED when I find joy in what He's given me.

John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."

Jesus came to give us abundant life. He is not a kill joy. He DELIGHTS when I find joy in His blessings. He desires to give me good things. When He witholds those things from me that I yearn for, He's not dangling them in front of my face saying, "haha...you want this??" In His wisdom, in His sovereignty, in His all knowing plan...He knows when and what will bring Him the most glory and me the most joy.

HE IS AFTER MY GOOD!

Matthew 6:26 says, "Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavently Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

It really moves me to tears that Jesus says I'm valuable. That I'm precious to Him. That I'm chosen. That I'm royalty. That I'm an adopted daughter of the King of Kings. What makes it even more incredible is that I did NOTHING to get this or earn it. It's a gift of ultimate proportion that I cannot even describe it.

1 Peter 2:9 says, "You are a CHOSEN race, a ROYAL priesthood, a HOLY nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellences of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." 

May we live our lives this way. I pray I never discredit the promises of God. I pray I look for His blessings and praise Him for each one. I pray I believe it when He says He desires to give me good things; that I would recognize those things as being from HIM and give Him glory for them.

We serve a gracious God!!