“Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 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!” (Matt 7:9-11).
How much confidence do you have in God’s love for you? Do you believe Him when He says He will never leave you nor forsake you? (Heb 13:5-6) Do you really believe that He causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him? (Rom 8:28) Do you trust Him enough to lay down all your anxieties and fears at His feet? (1 Pet 5:6-7) Do you find the comfort He has promised you in prayer? (Php 4:6-7)
Many times we know intellectually that we are children of God and that He is a perfectly loving and compassionate Father, but this information gets lost somewhere between our head and our heart. We fear that despite our fervent petitions God will see fit to give us a stone or snake. Knowing that God is not a vending machine to indulge our every whim, we go to the other extreme of seeing Him as an aloof emperor who pushes forward His personal agenda without any consideration for our cares and concerns.
If we properly view the Lord as a tenderhearted and sympathetic Father, we can submit to His will with full confidence that whatever He decides will ultimately be in our best interest. As His children, He will not allow us to face any hardship without good reason. He will only say “no” to the trusting, fervent prayers of His children if some higher purpose demands it. If we think we have received a stone or a serpent in response to our prayers, we need to renew our trust in His love and pray that He might open our eyes to the greater good in our situation.
God’s providence is many times far beyond our comprehension. There may be times that we feel like Job, endlessly frustrated and disappointed by God without reason. But God wants us to learn to trust in Him at times without answer or explanation. He wants us to develop a genuine confidence in His love and sovereignty. Even at the darkest times, God wants us to remember that He is a compassionate Father, and we can cast all our cares on Him.