Stephen Kendrick
When you were little, did your earthly father give you good gifts? Did you feel free to crawl in his lap and ask for your heart’s desire? Was he joyful or grumpy? In His sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “If a son asks his father for a fish, will he give him a snake or if he asks him for a piece of bread will he give him a stone?”
Jesus then asked, “If you being evil know how to give good gifts how much more does your Heavenly Father know how to give good gifts to those who ask Him?” How much more generous is God? Infinitely more generous than any earthly father! That’s great news. Even men who had terrible fathers can find cheerful generosity from their Father in heaven.
God’s generous heart is embedded in the DNA of His grace. Grace is unearned, undeserved favor. It flows out of His loving kindness. It is manifested in great generosity. The idea of grace is tied to a cheerful countenance on the face of the giver. In scripture, grace is symbolized by the shining face of God. You see it in the words, “The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.” (Numbers 6:25) In Christ, we have a smiling Father!
When grace is properly received, it also produces a cheerfulness on the face of the recipient. Thanksgiving is the proper gracious gift back to the original gracious giver. God, our Father, is so lavish towards His children that He invites us in the scriptures to ask Him for not only what we need but also for the good desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4, John 15:7). He wants us to approach Him with faith-filled expectation of His loving kindness.
Because of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, we are each offered the gift of salvation through faith in Him. This gift is priceless and could never be earned. It is given willingly by grace. Jesus said, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)
But it doesn’t stop there. Eternal life has endless gifts accompanying it. The Holy Spirit is given. His love, joy, and peace are freely poured out without cost. God’s Word. God’s Provision. Our glorious home in Heaven. All freely given!
Our role as earthly fathers is to look daily to our Heavenly Father for everything we need and then we are to receive His undeserved grace with thanksgiving as grateful sons. But then, we must share His heart of loving generosity with others, especially our own children. We won’t always say yes to everything they ask but we must become known for our loving generosity. Dads are positioned to best introduce our kids to the amazing grace of our generous God!