July 1 (Matthew 7:11)

If you, then, though you are evil, 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! (NIV)

Jesus does an extraordinary thing by using human parents as a point of comparison for understanding the nature of God.  I came to see this in a new way when our son attended a basketball camp at a major university.  My camera was out snapping pictures right and left.  Some were blurry or caught a boy in front of our son.  Others were sharp and showed him in action, ball leaving his hand and a look of intensity on his face.  As I thought about how I would arrange them in a movie when we returned home, I knew that I would discard the pictures that did not portray our son in the best light, retaining only the ones that showed him at his best.

If this is how an earthly father sees his child, think for a moment of how our heavenly Father sees His children.  When we are washed in the blood of Jesus, our Father no longer sees us in pictures blurred by sin.  He sees us in the warm, clear light of love.  Let that sink in.  God chooses to see you in the best possible light.  He loves you more than you can possibly understand and wants the best for you.  Understanding this at a deep and intuitive level will change every aspect of your life.

Father, thank You for Your love and grace toward me.  I am overwhelmed by Your goodness.  Your love humbles me and makes we want to serve You with all that I am.  Thank You, my Lord, my God, my Father.  Amen.

Copyright © 2012 by Steven R. Perkins