“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Ruach ha-Kodesh [the Holy Spirit] to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:13, TLV
Don’t Settle. We have a Heavenly Father that wants to give us the best. Have you ever noticed, we don’t always know what is best for us? Once, my mother took each of her young granddaughters out on a special date for their birthday. Their special “date” was grandma and granddaughter, one-on-one time. When their date-day arrived, each little girl would choose their favorite restaurant and then go to their favorite store and pick out a special treasure — within reason — that she would purchase for them.
Mom found it interesting how different each child was by their choices.
The older granddaughter chose her favorite fast-food restaurant. After the meal, the first granddaughter hit the local five & dime and chose a bubblegum-machine ring with a big, plastic, purple “diamond.”
When it was the younger granddaughter’s special day, she asked her grandmother, “Where would you eat?” As a result the two of them ate at a more fancy establishment. Mom and the other granddaughter ended up at the same five & dime, but the granddaughter chose a sweet floral bracelet.
The big purple ring broke within days. The bracelet lasted considerably longer and was kept in its cotton-lined box when she wasn’t wearing it.
A good gift
As our Heavenly Father’s redeemed children, our idea of a “good gift” is not always what is best. We may think, we know what is best, but our Father wants to give us more.
Earlier in this chapter, Luke gives his version of the disciples asking Yeshua to teach them to pray — or perhaps, the disciples asked Him again. In either case, the prayer is essentially the same as recorded in Matthew 6:9-13. Where Matthew’s context focuses on humility and forgiveness, Luke focuses on the generosity of our Father.
What precisely is, “Your kingdom come”?
Today’s verse and the previous verses in the chapter, may seem like we can ask God for anything we want and He’ll give it to us — like some celestial Santa Claus. But because He loves us, He longs to give us more than a bubblegum-ring, He longs to give us the riches of His Kingdom. The Ruach HaKodesh — the Holy Spirit. A part of HIM! Let’s let that one sink in. The Creator of the Universe wants to give us a part of Himself, just as He gave His only Son to redeem us.
We have all prayed for what we believe is the best and God answers, “No.” As difficult as that answer can be — especially when we truly believe it is the best “ring” in the earthly bubblegum-machine — He has a much better choice. A gift beyond our wildest imagination. Isn’t that what we really want?
Thoughts?
