A Matter of Perspective - What She Said Part 14 - Week 3 Day 3

TODAY'S TREASURE

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:7-11

Transcript

A Matter of Perspective

Annalisa Smith, Guest Writer

Today’s Treasure

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:7-11

It’s just about time for me to dig into the stash of hand-me-downs friends have shared with us and take out a new set of sizes for my daughter. Every time I go through her clothes to find the next size, I see tiny newborn clothes and can’t believe she once was so very small (and at the time, they were actually quite big for her)! Then I run into some clothes she’ll wear a year from now—and they look downright huge! It’s all a matter of perspective, isn’t it? How we see our children depends a little on who we are comparing them with. I might see my daughter testing out her new skills at pulling up on the crib rails and say, “Your arms are so strong! You’re so big!” But when I see my seven-year-old nephew holding her, she suddenly looks quite tiny! It’s all a matter of perspective.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:7-11

This passage compares God’s generosity to that of a caring parent. If we are generous, then surely He is amazingly more generous! It’s an argument from the lesser to the greater. Jesus was born in the nation of Israel and lived as a Jewish Rabbi. Jewish teachers often used this way of speaking. In the passage, Jesus explains that if even human parents (the lesser) know how to give good gifts to their children, God (the far greater) must deeply know how to give good gifts to His children. Our most creative, loving parenting efforts pale in comparison to God’s generous, nurturing love.

Sometimes, I love my daughter so much I don’t know how I could love anything or anyone more. These kinds of moments show me that if my lesser love is so great, God’s love must be beyond what I can even comprehend. And His ability knows no limits. He is able to give and give and keep on giving. I just can’t do that. I’m a person with limits. I run out of steam. I need sleep or water or a bathroom break. Sleep deprivation makes me do crazy things. I once tried baking chicken nuggets… without ever putting them in the oven. Friends with small children have told me stories about rocking a pillow to sleep, pouring their coffee into a bowl (not a bad idea if it’s a big one!), and going to walk the dog… without the dog.

Let’s look at another verse that compares and contrasts God with human parents:

"Can a woman forget her nursing child that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.  Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands." Isaiah 49:15-16a

A woman with a newborn child is basically the epitome of compassion and attentiveness. Her little one is completely dependent on her for life! Of course, she remembers her child! She has hours upon hours to memorize her baby’s little face as she feeds and soothes him. But sadly, through human limits or poor choices, neglect of children does happen. Even if a mother could forget her child, God will never, ever forget you. In crazy sleep-deprived moments, it sometimes takes me a few seconds to remember where I set my daughter down or if I just changed her diaper. But God cannot and will not forget us. He says we are written on His very hands.

In our first two passages, we looked at how human parents show us a glimpse of God’s tender care. This next passage contrasts how different God’s tender care is from our worst mistakes and disappointments in human love:

"For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in." Psalm 27:10

I know my failings will affect my daughter. My parents affected me, and their parents affected them. I’m so sorry if your earthly experience of mothers and fathers has been greatly lacking in love or compassion. In Psalm 27:10, the Lord assures us that though we might see the complete failure of human love—the forsaking of a child—God will take us in. May we feel His tender care for us in all our wounded places.

May you be encouraged today by His limitless, good-gift-giving, never forgetting love. 

LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT

Who are some people who have loved you really well and for a long time? Where have you seen and felt the limits of their love? Ask God to show you more of the depth of his limitless love for you and for the faith to trust and lean into that love.

PRAYER

Dear Father, You are the only one good enough and big enough to love unconditionally and perfectly. That kind of love is hard to comprehend – human love has helped me sometimes and hurt me other times. Teach me that You never forget, always give what is good, and love me like no one else can. Amen.