“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
We have a Heavenly Father that wants to give us the best. Have you ever noticed, we don’t always notice what is best for us? My mother at one time took her young granddaughters out on a special date for their birthday. She would let them dine at their favorite restaurant and go to their favorite store and pick out a special treasure — within reason — that she would purchase for them.
She found it interesting how different each child was in their choices. One granddaughter dined at a simple restaurant, where the other asked their grandmother where they should eat, so they ate at a more fancy place.
After the meal, the first granddaughter hit the local five & dime and chose a bubblegum-machine ring. Large, shiny, gaudy with a big, plastic, purple “diamond.” The other granddaughter chose a sweet floral bracelet. The ring broke within days. The bracelet lasted longer in its cotton-lined box.
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 is precisely the same is, “Your kingdom come.”
Today’s verse and the previous verses, 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.
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?
Shabbat shalom.
