Good Gifts

“So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” ~Jesus (Matthew 7:11)

As we enter into the Christmas season, this verse, in today’s study yet again strikes a chord with me.

Denver City Hall all decked out for Christmas

We live in a world of religious experts. This same type of expert existed in the days of Jesus. Their rules and regulations, those things they deemed “true” or “right” or “acceptable” (by of course their standards), were often oppressive and confining. They were condemnatory and disheartening to those trying to eek out life.

This is no different today. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes there is nothing new under the sun.

“What has been will be again,

what has been done will be done again;

there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9

So while we are now in a place where it would seem, through this madness called A.I. bringing potentially the Terminator Movies drama to real life, there is…nothing new under the sun.

Let me get back to Jesus statement.

A few weeks back, I was served another video by a “religious” leader of sorts going on a long talk about life and God and God’s purposes for you and so on. He made a statement something along the lines of…”And while Joel Osteen may be telling you that God in heaven is working out your life so it’s full of riches and blessing, God’s not. The maker of the Universe is NOT your Genie in a Bottle to get all you want out of life”.

Of course, my mind was replete with a few phrases “Yeah, No Sh** Sherlock” was in there somewhere.

Side bar, I’ve read a few of his books and used to watch his sermons and listen to his podcast messages. The folks attempting to discredit him purposely twist his words to fit their narrative. Just like with Joyce Meyer and the others in that “faction” they cherry pick sound bites leaving out specifics in order to condemn these preachers. Sort of like how the Pharisees did the same thing.

There is, in this world, a faction, a large faction of believers that seem stuck in a mindset that God is almost looking to smite us.

The same type people existed back when Jesus spoke these words. His rebukes were hard and fast for men making life a living hell for those trying to live life for the Lord. These men believed they had the corner on what makes us all right with God and how we need to get there. Through all of their self appointed righteousness, their corner on the market if you will, they lay down all kinds of expectations for all of use plebs to follow and live out. If we veer, well, we aren’t a “real” believer. We fail the “true convert” test.

At any rate, this isn’t so much a defense of Osteen. I lost some level of respect for him when he came out in support of Black Lives Matter, although, like many he may have been confused and has since retracted or apologized, I am not sure for it’s been years since I’ve listened to or watched his ministry.

It is a calling out however of those who seem to be stuck on this “Angry God” mantra. A God who is not at all concerned with what you or I want, but instead is looking to use us to accomplish his ends and, well, that’s it.

Now, that’s true, for sure. The speaker I referenced made a comment along the lines of “God doesn’t need you one bit to get what he needs done, so stop thinking so highly of yourself”.

Wow.

No God doesn’t need us. Yet, in a move that is ALL TELLING he sent his one and only son to DIE FOR US so that we might enjoy fellowship with him in eternity.

Am I missing something here?

I mean really. Who does this if he’s not in love with us and wants the relationship with us.

Am I to understand, he died for us, made a sacrifice a large number of us as humans would never even consider making for any of our fellow man, and he isn’t interested in blessing our lives? What?! This just is so full of inconsistency, it doesn’t make any sense in my head.

I don’t NEED my kids or my wife. But if anyone every tries to harm or do ill to any of the 5 of them, there is no mountain I will not move to rescue them. And I am only human.

That gets me to the crux of my thought on this which I hope may encourage you.

Jesus Christ says what I have always thought having 3 children of my own seed and one that, for all intent and purposes is adopted. And that is this.

Snowy Pine Trees from Above. A special Treat for us.

I would never, ever, wish to harm or give my children anything that will send them in the wrong direction. Instead I want only to bless them as their father. (This is not to be confused with spoiling them)

Example, when their mother left us, that Christmas was difficult. In that year, for Christmas, I spent considerably more than I would have ever spent and have ever spent since. But I purchased very precise, deeply thought through, and expensive gifts for them that year. Each with incredible thought toward how they could use these gifts to, moving forward, deal with and cope with the divorce and the loss of what was once our family.

Elise received a Rolland Piano, Levi received a very expensive Tubed Guitar Amp, and Jacob a new IPad. Jacob sadly lost his IPad only days later but Elise and Levi ultimately used these gifts to produce what would ultimately come to the recording of an album of original music, using said equipment. Probably the most therapeutic thing we did to deal with the loss over 6 months time.

This man, this father, the “sinner” in the verse above, knew how to give to my children good gifts, never wishing them harm when it was needed (knowing how much they wanted said gifts mind you).

Of course, all children, when they hear “no” at times when asking for something as parent we know would be bad for them, tend to believe in their immaturity that we “don’t love them” anymore because their request is denied.

So it is in our infantile understanding of the way our Heavenly Father operates and answers (or not) our prayers.

As I read Jesus’ words up there, it says to me that YES God DOES want to bless us with good things in this life. Note, Jesus says, “…to those who ask him…”.

Meaning, we are expected to ask. He apparently wants us to ask. It’s stated in such a fashion that we are indeed to ask. Jesus seems to indicate the asking is part of our relationship with him.

We must GET OURSELVES OUT of this mindset that it’s not Okay to ask God for blessing and good gifts.

We must understand if we don’t get it, he’s acting in our best interest as our parent. It’s here we must not develop a spoiled brat mentality. But we really need to stop looking at this from the perspective that God is angry, looking to beat us down, and almost resents having us as children as if we are an annoyance to him. (I might also add…if I read Jesus right, if we don’t get it…perhaps it’s because we haven’t even asked…because…according to the god men among us, we aren’t supposed to even consider asking…and we heed their advice because we revere their self appointed wisdom so much.)

Yes, in life, there are a ton of parents who act and behave this way; as if their children are an afterthought or inconvenience. I half wonder if this isn’t the reason why so many of these types of people exist; those believing as they do that it’s only through their approval, will you find the acceptance of God. Only through their lists of rules and laws and regulations, of course never, ever having the guts to ask God for anything. Perhaps their parents set a bad precedent.

Yet, it seems to me, this is contrary to Jesus’ teaching.

God is for you. He wants to give you a life in abundance and blessing. Jesus said so. Trust Jesus before you trust man. Man gets mixed up in his desires to control his fellow man. Some believe going without, barely getting by, never expecting much in life somehow is righteousness. In my view, they couldn’t be more wrong. At least…by what I hear from Jesus.

And none of these men have yet been raised from the dead by my last count. I’ll trust him who beat death and is alive and well.

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”. ~Jesus (John 10:10)

-rob out