My daughter has to have a root canal this afternoon.
Following track practice yesterday afternoon, I told her that I was planning to make a beef tenderloin dinner with all the trimmings. She loves this meal (it is one of the few things I can make well! 🙂 ). I thought she would enjoy having a hearty meal prior to the procedure, as she will be limited to soft foods for awhile.
Her response was as follows: “Can I have Chicken McNuggets instead?”
Sigh. (I did take her to McDonald’s).
I posted that little exchange on Facebook and one of my friends had a wonderful insight. She messaged me and wrote: “Today it occurred to me that that is a perfect example of what our relationship can be with God. Our ways are not His ways. He offers us the best and we say, “Meh…I’ll just stick with cheap and greasy because that’s what I’m familiar with.” The good news is that He allows us to have it and loves us anyway.”
I thought that was very well said. (Perhaps she should be blogging! 🙂 ).
We serve an astonishingly generous and good God. He LOVES to give gifts! And all of His gifts are good because HE is good and cannot be otherwise.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17)
He ALWAYS gives His very best too.
You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Ps. 23: 5-6).
For God so loved that world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).
Did you know that He even stores up good gifts for those who love Him?
How abundant are the good things that You have stored up for those who fear You, that You bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in You. (Ps. 31:19).
When we pray in His will and want the same things that HIS heart desires, He even sends blessings of good things to meet us on our path!
You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of His lips. For You send blessings of good things to meet him. (Psalm 21:2-3)
When we hold all we have loosely and give generously of our resources (which is easy to do when you realize that you don’t own anything anyway…it’s all HIS!), He promises to out-give you:
Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Luke 6:38).
Notice that wording there: this verse did NOT say “it will be dripped little by little into your lap.” No, it will be POURED! He gives to us out of His never-ending, overflowing ABUNDANCE!
So often, we are ready to settle for the good or for the better.
But our Heavenly Father yearns to give us His very BEST.
He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32).
Our Heavenly Father is a gracious, kind, and loving Father who DELIGHTS to give.
Ask Him to open your eyes to ALL the gifts He has placed along your path today. I promise that when you live life like this, your JOY will overflow!
Choose the beef tenderloin today! Don’t settle for the Chicken McNuggets! 🙂
Power Of A Moment 