“If you . . . know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11 (NIV)
God is the source of everything. Everything I see in the world and everything I can’t see in the world and in the universe, God made. He’s the source of every good thing that has ever existed or will ever exist.
When I depend on God as my source for everything, there are four truths I need to remember.
First, everything is a gift from God. I didn’t earn anything I have. It’s all a gift of God’s grace. If God didn’t want to give it, I wouldn’t have it.
The Bible tells me in James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above” (NIV). The Lord’s Prayer starts with the word “give”: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Why? Because it is a gift. I can’t earn it.
Second, there’s nothing I need that God can’t provide. I don’t know what I'm going to need the rest of the year—or even for the rest of today! But whatever it is, God has the power to supply it.
The Bible says in Philippians 4:19, “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (NIV). “Riches of his glory” means as lavish as only God can lavish. God has unlimited resources.
Third, God wants to give me everything I need. Matthew 7:11 says, “If you . . . know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11 NIV). God is a good Father, and he wants to meet my needs. Before I even know what I need, God knows. And he is ready to provide it and give abundantly more than I could ask.
And the fourth thing: God is waiting on me.
If I have needs in my life that aren’t being met, the problem is not that God doesn’t want to meet those needs; the problem could be I haven’t asked him yet. He’s waiting on me! James 4:2 says, “You do not have because you do not ask God” (NIV).
So I can go ahead and ask my heavenly Father, the Creator of the universe, for whatever I need, and see what he does.
In summary:
God is the ultimate source of everything good—everything I have and need comes from Him as a gift of grace, it's not something I’ve earned. The Bible teaches that God created all things, knows my every need, and has unlimited resources to meet those needs. He is a generous Father who desires to give good gifts to His children, often even before they know to ask. If my needs go unmet, it may simply be because I haven’t asked Him. God is ready and waiting to provide; I just need to trust Him and bring my requests to Him in faith.
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