1741) It’s always interesting when the Christmas season approaches at a school. My young scholars get so excited, bursting to tell me what they’ve asked for and then, after the holiday, they share what they received.

What would my students think if they asked for a specific video game and their parents gave them a jar of ticks? (Oh, how I wish I didn’t use this example!) Unthinkable, right?

This gift request and gift received is exactly the point Jesus was making in Luke 11:11-13. If we ask God for something, he does not give us a disgusting substitution, such as serpents, scorpions and even ticks. BUT, have you ever considered that what we are asking for isa jar of ticks, serpents, and scorpions? God will not give us any gift we ask for that would harm us or not be for our good.

Perhaps it would be helpful to remember that God only gives us good and perfect gifts (James 1:17), even if they aren’t what we asked for.