Jump Start # 2484

Matthew 7:11 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in Heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”

The Christmas season is in full swing. Just yesterday, I was asked by two different people if I had all my shopping done. Shopping and Christmas seem to go hand in hand. We have a lot to buy for. We have ten grandchildren, along with four grown children and their mates. Toss in my dad, my mother-in-law and a few others that we like to get gifts for, I understand shopping. I even went out on black Friday this year. What was I thinking!

With all this shopping going on, our verse came to my mind this morning. God is good. God is generous. But looking carefully at this verse, there are some interesting details that we need to notice.

First, being evil, doesn’t mean everything a person does is evil or wrong. Here, the evil people were giving good gifts to their children. Don’t miss that. Because a person is doctrinally off on a Biblical principle, does not mean that he is wrong in all things. Although a book may contain some error, it may still have some value and good in it. The evil people knew how to give good gifts.

Second, the evil people had a heart of kindness. They were giving good gifts to their children. Again, it is easy to think that evil people would leave their children outside in the rain, not feed them and just be trouble all the way around. Not so. Not only were they kind to their children, there seems to be a sense of love. The evil people had a heart.

Third, giving good gifts to their children did not erase the fact that these people were evil. Doing good deeds does not take care of the wrongs that we do. Especially this time of year, many folks get the generous spirit and want to donate coats and blankets for the homeless. Great thing to do. Some want to volunteer at a soup kitchen. Wonderful. I’ve done all of those things. However, these generous and kind acts do not change our relationship with the Lord, nor do they remove the wrongs that we have done. Only Jesus can do that. It is a common thought today that if I do some good some where then that makes up for the bad that I have done. These people were considered “evil” by Jesus. They were giving good gifts. Yet, they remained “evil.” They still needed Jesus. They still needed to bend their ways to the Lord, and seek the mercy of God. Giving presents to your children won’t open the gates of Heaven for you. What evil we have done must be taken up with God. He is the one that we have sinned against. Doing nice things for others is not addressing what I need to do with God.

Fourth, God, who is good, not evil, really knows how to give good. The pages of the Bible demonstrate that. God is lavish with his love, generosity and blessings. So often what God gives is not what we want. God gives forgiveness, hope, Heaven and a relationship with Him. That’s fine, some will say, but I’d rather have cash. And, in saying that, not only is one displaying a selfish attitude, but he is showing that he doesn’t understand what really matters. So we get cash. Then what? We’d go out and buy something. Within a few years, it’s junk and we are right back where we are today. We are more interested in stuff than character, hope and forgiveness. Stuff doesn’t last. Stuff is centered on the here and now. The spiritual side of things is what is lasting, eternal and of God. This is why Paul told the Corinthians that we do not look at the things which are visible. His hope, his interests was upon the things that were “invisible.”

Fifth, God has been good to all of us. Time, life, health, opportunity, talent are just a few things found in all of us. But more than that, God has given us His eternal word. God has opened the gates of His kingdom and allowed us to enter in. God has allowed us to be adopted by Him. We sit at His table. We are considered as one of His children. God has trusted us enough to carry on His work in this world. We have become His eyes, His hands and His feet. God believes in us.

Yes, some days are dark and troublesome. There are trips to the cemetery. There are lonely nights. However, even then God has not left us. Even at the moment of our death, the angels from Heaven carry our soul to the arms of Abraham. There are blessings that the eye cannot see. There are blessings that you cannot put a price tag on. There are blessings that can be found no where else.

God knows how to take care of us. God knows what we need. And, God certainly can give good gifts. Something to remember in this season of giving.

Roger

Jump Start # 1391

Matthew 7:11 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in Heaven give what is good to those who ask Him.”

Our verse today, coming from the Lord’s masterpiece sermon on the mount shows the goodness of God. The Lord knows what we need. The Lord knows how to give good gifts. Jesus contrasts this with dads. When a child is hungry, a dad doesn’t give the child a rock. That is a useless gift. It was not what the child wanted and it does not help the child in his current state. Nor, would a dad give his child a snake. Not only would that not be useful, it could be harmful. Evil dads know how to provide good gifts to their children. A good God will provide what is good for His children.

It is easy to view gifts from God as the tangible items that we hold in our hands or those things of value that increase our wealth. Many, many of God’s gifts are different than that. They are not the things that can be put on a shelf, sold on Ebay or held in your hands.

Here is a short list of a few of God’s gifts:

1. Life’s lessons. God puts us in places and passes experiences before us that can mold us, change us, help us and remind us. God ultimately is concerned with our spiritual wellbeing and salvation above all things. We may suffer hardships, endure tough times, struggle but if it leads to a heart that bows to God, those have been powerful gifts. We may not, and most times, do not view those hard journeys as gifts. We would rather that they move on down the road for us, but for the listening heart, the opened eyes, God’s presence, God’s hand, and God’s word teaches us things in the darkness that we will never learn in the sunshine of life.

Today, I go to bury a friend. He was 86 years old. He was a preacher at heart and a good man. Tomorrow, I go to celebrate my dad’s 90th birthday with family and friends. It will be a party. Tears today, laughter tomorrow. Life is like that. It’s rarely a flat road. It’s hills and valleys. It’s up and it’s down. Reflecting on the lives of two old men, soldiers of Christ, good, kind and helpful, brings not only precious memories, but life’s lessons.  I view the presence of these two men in my life as God’s gifts. God puts many people in our lives. Some are there to help us. Some we learn from. Others learn from us. We become God’s gifts to others. It is easy to overlook such wonderful people as gifts from God. Where would we be without some of these people. They have taught us, reminded us, helped us, and been there for us. Without them, we may not know the Lord. Without them, we may have stayed longer in the wilderness. God’s gifts, in the lives of others.

2. Life’s opportunities. Paul prayed for open doors to preach the Gospel. The church at Philadelphia was given an open door. When John saw the first vision in Heaven, he saw a door standing open. It wasn’t closed. It wasn’t locked. It was opened. Open doors that have led to jobs, education, improvement. Open doors that have allowed the word of God to be taught. Opportunities bring hope and hope brings life. It is the guy who has run out of hope that sees only closed doors before him. He feels stuck and trapped. He is miserable and without options. Often our prayers are little. Little prayers bring little results. Why not pray for open doors? Why not pray big prayers? Why not see that it is a big God that we serve.

3. Life’s connection. Jesus began this section in His sermon by saying, “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Those three words, ask, seek, and knock are found to be progressive in nature. In other words, keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. It’s not a one time event. It’s not done once and it’s over. And the one who gives, the one who answers, the one who opens, is God. It is God who knows how to give good gifts. God in our lives. God present every day in our hearts and minds. God with us. When David described the journey through the valley of the shadow of death, in Psalms 23, he included, “Thou art with me.” I am not alone. I am not sent through the valley by myself. God is with me. When a loud thunderstorm awakens and frightens a child at night, he often races to his parents bed. There nestled between his parents, he feels safe. The storm is still loud. The storm has not passed, but the assurance and presence of his parents makes everything better. It’s that way for us. God’s there. The storm still rages on, but God with us, changes everything.

What should we ask, seek and knock for? The shallow and unspiritual answer would be, “A million dollars.” That’s not wise, spiritual nor to be expected. With that, a person would spend it foolishly and find himself even further away from God. Should we ask for wisdom to know how to say and do the right things today? Should we ask to seek someone who we may help or who may help us learn of God more? Should we knock upon a heart that has been closed by a bad experience and see if they will open up and possibly give God another chance? Ask, seek, knock—God’s with you as you walk down the path He has for you.

God is generous. God is good. God is a giver. Those same characteristics ought to be found in God’s children. Bothered, turn to God. Hurting, turn to God. Feeling blessed, turn to God. Alone, turn to God. Ask, seek, knock. He knows how to give good gifts. He’s been doing that for a long, long time. Just look at what He did with Jesus, the greatest gift of all.

Have you asked Him? Maybe it’s time.

Roger