Receiving Through Relationship

Luke 12:32 - "So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give
you the Kingdom."

All that we receive from the Lord is through a personal relationship with Him. Once we have
been forgiven and our sins have been cleansed, we become the sons and daughters of God. That means we are able to come to God as our Father.

As a father myself, I know my children’s desires well. And because I love them, I will provide
for their needs, sometimes before they are even aware of them. Both of my sons love bananas and eat them just about every day for breakfast. One morning, I realized they had eaten the last ones, so I drove to the store, bought some and dropped them off at the house before heading into work. Before my boys were even aware of their need, their father provided for them.

So we can pray with assurance, knowing that all good things we have need of are being provided by a perfect Heavenly Father. Matthew 6:8-9 “…For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray: ‘Our Father in heaven…’”

Here’s another illustration of what I mean: there is an entire multi-billion dollar marketing
industry that exists to convince us to purchase goods and services. Years ago, I took a business marketing class in college and learned about some of the strategies marketers use to get us to spend our money: ideal product placement, the best labeling, branding, and pricing strategies. Additionally, there are thousands of professionals whose sole occupation is to create the perfect ad to get shoppers to buy their product. Most times, those strategies aren’t successful, at least on me!

But now I have children, who only have to come up to me and say, “I love you Daddy!” and I’m ready to give them whatever they ask! They don’t have to use proper grammar or even the correct words to describe what they want. Why? Because we have relationship! It gives me joy to give them the things they ask for.

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 good things to those who ask Him!”