Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Today let’s notice God’s rational correlations.

In Matthew 7:9‭-‬11 (NLT) Jesus said…
“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

Consider…
Jesus used parables, and rational audience specific correlations, to reveal things about His Father, Himself and the Kingdom of Heaven. Today’s scripture is one of those rational correlations that He used to show us the way we should think about our Heavenly Father and prayer.

In this correlation Jesus emphasized three things:

• God the Father is relatable. Notice Jesus said “You parents if your children ask…” By contrasting us parents to our Heavenly Father, we gain a better appreciation of His love, grace and mercy toward us. I can personally attest that as a father, I often compared my thoughts about or reactions to my children’s choices, behaviors and attitudes, to how God thinks about and reacts to me. More often than not, I was convicted by God’s: patience versus my impatience; gentleness versus my harshness; and self-control versus my out-of-control. Also, relating to God as my Heavenly Father, in comparison to myself as an earthly one, made, and still makes, me appreciate Him more for His love, kindness and faithfulness towards me, both because of and inspite of me. Lastly, it always made and makes me see how much more I need the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit in me.
• Next, Jesus showed God the Father is incomparable. He said “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” It is amazing that some of the most hardened criminals have a soft spot in their hearts for their children. Or that some of the biggest racial bigots choose their love for their mixed grandchildren over their bigotry. And Jesus said if folks like that, with imperfect love, can be good to their progenies, then how much more can our Heavenly Father with His proven perfect love (John 3:16) be good to us? If us parents are fully transparent, our love is often challenged and found wanting when our children are behaving in unlovable ways. Yet Romans 5:8 (NLT) says, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”…While we were unlovable, God loved us. Thus, why I say our Heavenly Father’s love is incomprehensible and incomparable.
• Lastly, Jesus showed us that our Heavenly Father is approachable. He said “if your children ask” and “Heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him.” That makes me think of Hebrews 4:16 (NLT) encouragement, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” It also makes me think of the eldest son in the parable of the prodigal son. Recall, the father, representing God the Father, told his eldest son, who was jealous of the fuss being made over his little brother’s return…“Oh, my son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” – Luke 15:31 ERV. – That’s the same thing the Heavenly Father says to us who abide in Christ. In fact Jesus said, “if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” – John 15:7 NLT – What a blessing it is to know we can approach God the Father because of His grace extended through His Son.

I hope today inspires you to pay close attention to Jesus’ parables and rational correlations because they’ll transform your thinking. Just like today’s scripture, His words will make Himself, our Heavenly Father and the Kingdom of Heaven, relatable and at the same time show that God’s love, mercy and grace is incomprehensible and incomparable. And that unfathomable Love of God is what makes Him approachable because of His Son, who gives us direct access.

So let God’s rational correlations be a source of hope and inspiration with great anticipation of all God has planned for those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Today’s song is…
Good Good Father
https://youtu.be/qlsQrycKKsY?si=ntzNQdqeJFe444At

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)