August 19, 2016

WHY GOD IS A BETTER GIFT-GIVER THAN YOU OR I

Luke 11:1–13

Robbie Davis
Friday's Devo

August 19, 2016

Friday's Devo

August 19, 2016

Central Truth

God gives us infinitely more than we could ever give others because He knows and loves us infinitely more.

Key Verse | Luke 11:13

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13)

Luke 11:1–13

The Lord's Prayer

Now Jesus 1 11:1 Greek he was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread, 2 11:3 Or our bread for tomorrow
and forgive us our sins,
    for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”

And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence 3 11:8 Or persistence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for 4 11:11 Some manuscripts insert bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Footnotes

[1] 11:1 Greek he
[2] 11:3 Or our bread for tomorrow
[3] 11:8 Or persistence
[4] 11:11 Some manuscripts insert bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for

Dive Deeper | Luke 11:1–13

I don’t have children, so I will use my wife, Marisha, in my illustration of how God is an infinitely better gift-giver than I. Marisha’s top love language is gifts. Knowing this, I surprise her as often as possible with encouraging handwritten letters, date nights, flowers, and sometimes jewelry. I do this not because I love receiving gifts, too, or because I expect a gift in return. I give to Marisha because I know her intimately, and my desire is to make her feel loved. 

Unfortunately, no matter how well I try to love Marisha, I am human. I am incapable of perfection. Despite the content of my gift, the meaning behind it, or the way I present it, I am incapable of providing what only God can provide. Why is this? To answer this question, I had to dig further into Scripture to see what makes God such a perfect gift-giver. 

One answer to this question I found in Psalm 139:13. King David says, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” He is all-knowing, intimately knew Marisha before she was conceived, and formed her Himself. God knows Marisha infinitely more than I ever will. I found another answer in Romans 5:8 & 10. The Apostle Paul states, “[B]ut God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. . . . For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” Christ died for Marisha to give her life, despite her being an enemy of God. God loves Marisha far more than I ever could. 

Luke 11:13 illustrates the depth of God’s knowledge and love versus our own. Prone to sin every day, we still manage to give good gifts to those we know and love intimately. God, however, gives us the perfect gift of His Holy Spirit, who guides us in His perfect knowledge and love.

Discussion Questions

1. What does the gift of the Holy Spirit look like in the following passages?

John 14:26
John 16:13
Acts 4:31
Acts 9:31
Galatians 5:22-23

2. When you pray for yourself, what do you normally ask God for? In light of your answers to Question #1, do the qualities of the Holy Spirit change your prayers for yourself and others? If so, how?

3. Was there ever a time you were given something that you didn’t perceive as a gift, but later understood it as a blessing from God?