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Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! -Luke 11:11-13 (NIV)

As a father, I give all I can for my son. And as his earthly father, when he asks me for something he needs, I will certainly meet or exceed that need, assuming it is what is best for him.

On top of that, my son–and I–have our Heavenly Father above, who knows exactly what is best for us, and will exceedingly meet our needs. He gifts us with His constant love, strength, and support as we travel through this world. And, of course, the greatest gift He gives us is eternal life in His presence, against which nothing on this earth can compare.

In Charles F. Stanley’s Handbook for Christian Living: Biblical Answers to Life’s Tough Questions, Dr. Stanley explains that if he’d gotten all he wanted from God when he wanted them, he would’ve missed his best in every case. He goes on to write this example:

Imagine for a moment a five-year-old who wants a pocketknife and a flashlight. A good father might not mind giving him the flashlight, but the boy needs to grow up a little before he can be trusted with the pocketknife. In the same way, God is waiting for us to grow spiritually in some areas before He can allow us to experience all the spiritual and material blessings He has in store (Eph. 1:3). (p. 542)

As the verses at the top of this post say, Our Father, who art in Heaven, can bestow upon us the gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell in us…if only we ask (Romans 10:9).

Every single one of us is a child to earthly parents, and a child of God, but we haven’t all accepted Him into our hearts. And more than any earthly parent, God knows every single thing in our future, and has already laid out what is best for us. If you or someone you know hasn’t yet accepted Him in your heart, walk this way, and see how Our Father in Heaven truly knows best, and works out all things for our best, to His glory.