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“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
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 things to those who ask Him.”
— Matthew 7:9–11
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”
— James 1:17
At the very center of this theme is one simple but often neglected truth:
God is a Father who gives.
Not reluctantly. Not occasionally. Not sparingly.
He is a Father who delights to give good gifts to His children.
Yet many believers live as if God were hesitant, distant, or unreliable. Some are afraid to ask; others have asked and feel disappointed. Some do not understand what God is willing to give, how He gives, or why He sometimes withholds.
The lyrics you provided are not random phrases. They are a tapestry of three great New Testament revelations:
1. God is a Father who gives good things.
2. God the Father especially gives the Holy Spirit.
3. Every truly good and perfect gift has one origin: the unchanging Father of lights.
We will see that all of this is tied to one critical issue:
How you see God as Father will determine how you ask, what you expect, and how you receive.
Let us look at what the Word of God says.
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### Matthew 7:9–11 – In the Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 7:9–11 appears in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). Jesus is teaching His disciples what it means to live as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Just before these verses, Jesus says:
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
— Matthew 7:7–8
Then He explains *why* this is so—by revealing the character of God:
He uses a very simple, practical picture: a father and his hungry child. In that culture, bread and fish were common, basic foods. Stones and snakes, by contrast, were harmful or useless in that context.
Jesus contrasts human fathers—flawed, sinful, “evil”—with God the Father, who is perfectly good. If flawed fathers still want to bless their children, how much more will the perfect Father give what is good?
### Luke 11:13 – The Holy Spirit as the Supreme Gift
Your lyrics include the parallel from Luke 11:13:
“If you then, being 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!”
Here, Jesus specifies the greatest gift God gives: the Holy Spirit Himself.
This tells us that, in God’s view, the Holy Spirit is not an optional extra. He is the central gift that enables us to live the Christian life.
### James 1:17 – The Father of Lights in a Time of Trial
James writes to believers scattered among the nations (James 1:1), many under pressure, persecution, and temptation. Some were tempted to blame God for their struggles.
In that context, James says:
James emphasizes:
So we have three strands:
1. Matthew – The Father gives good things to those who ask.
2. Luke – The Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask.
3. James – Every good and perfect gift comes from the unchanging Father of lights.
---
### 1. “Good gifts” – Greek: ἀγαθός (agathos) and δόμα (doma)
In Matthew 7:11:
“how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?”
Meaning: that which is intrinsically good, beneficial, upright, useful, morally sound.
Not merely pleasant, but truly beneficial according to God’s standard.
In James 1:17:
This tells us:
### 2. “Perfect” – Greek: τέλειος (teleios)
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…” (James 1:17)
A “perfect gift” from God is:
This shapes our expectation. A “good and perfect gift” may not always match our immediate desires, but it will always match God’s wise purpose and our true spiritual need.
### 3. “Father of lights” – Greek: πατὴρ τῶν φώτων (patēr tōn phōtōn)
James calls God:
He then says:
Unlike the sun, which rises, sets, and casts shadows, God is:
So, when we speak of “heavenly gifts,” we are talking about gifts from an unchanging, radiant, generous Father, who never slips into darkness, spite, or malice.
---
Let us take the key movements of the lyrics and unfold their theological content.
### A. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?”
Jesus begins with a question designed to expose something: our own built-in knowledge of fatherhood.
The point:
Spiritually, “bread” often speaks of:
Jesus is saying:
Your Father will not trick you when you come to Him for what you truly need.
### B. “Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?”
The implied answer: No sane father would do that.
In spiritual terms:
Jesus is teaching:
### C. “If you, though evil, know how to give good gifts to your children…”
Here Jesus is startlingly honest about human nature:
The argument is from the lesser to the greater:
Theologically, Jesus is grounding our confidence in prayer in:
### D. “How much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him.”
Here we reach a central revelation:
1. God is Father – personal, relational. Not just distant deity.
2. Heavenly Father – not subject to human limitations, moods, or weaknesses.
3. He gives good things – everything truly beneficial to your growth in holiness and fulfillment of His purpose.
4. To those who ask Him – this is conditional. God has ordained asking as the appointed way to receiving.
This confronts two errors:
The entire Kingdom operates on the principle:
> Ask… and keep on asking.
> Seek… and keep on seeking.
> Knock… and keep on knocking. (cf. Matthew 7:7, Greek present continuous tense.)
### E. “How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Luke 11:13 sharpens the focus:
Why is the Holy Spirit the supreme gift?
Without the Holy Spirit:
So when the lyric repeats:
> “How much more will the heavenly Father
> give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
it is not a poetic flourish; it is a spiritual law:
### F. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…”
James adds two vital clarifications:
1. Source – every good and perfect gift is “from above.”
2. Stability – “who does not change like shifting shadows.”
This anchors our faith. When circumstances change, when people change, when our own emotions fluctuate, the Father does not.
So:
### G. “Your Father gives good gifts—ask Him, and He will give generously.”
This captures the essence of the New Testament revelation:
Here is the balance of biblical teaching:
### H. Spiritual Realities: Warfare, Deception, and the Human Heart
These promises sit in the context of spiritual warfare:
1. The enemy distorts God’s image.
2. The human heart struggles with unbelief and orphan thinking.
3. The Holy Spirit is central to victory.
So, when we sing, speak, or meditate on these lyrics, we are not merely rehearsing doctrine. We are engaging in warfare against every lie that says:
The Word of God cuts through those lies:
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts… how much more your Father in heaven…”
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We must not leave these truths as mere theory. The New Testament demands response. Let us outline some clear steps.
### 1. First, we must repent of wrong views of God as Father.
Many of us have unconsciously projected the failures of human fathers onto God.
We must deliberately renounce these lies:
A practical step:
“Father, I renounce every false image of You that does not agree with Scripture. I lay down the belief that You are harsh, distant, or reluctant. I receive the truth that You are my good, generous, unchanging Father.”
### 2. Second, we must align our asking with God’s definition of “good.”
Many are disappointed because they confuse what is pleasant with what is truly good and perfect.
We must align ourselves with Scripture:
So our prayer becomes:
Give what is perfect in Your sight, not just what is immediate in my sight.”
### 3. Third, we must ask specifically and persistently for the Holy Spirit.
Jesus made it very plain:
That is a condition. It calls for:
Practical exercise:
“Father, according to Your promise, I ask You now: give me the Holy Spirit in fresh measure. Fill me, guide me, empower me, and reveal Yourself as Father to me.”
### 4. Fourth, we must cultivate thanksgiving for every good and perfect gift.
James 1:17 teaches us that every truly good thing in our lives is from above.
To walk this out:
This does two things:
A simple habit:
“Father of lights, I acknowledge these came from You. Thank You.”
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### Proclamation (Confession of Faith)
Speak this aloud, slowly and deliberately, as an act of faith:
“I proclaim that God is my Father in heaven.
He is the Father of lights,
with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
I affirm that every good gift
and every perfect gift in my life
comes from Him and from no other source.
Though earthly fathers are imperfect and evil by nature,
my Heavenly Father is perfectly good,
unchanging in His love,
and generous in His giving.
He does not give stones when I ask for bread,
He does not give snakes when I ask for fish.
When I ask for what is truly good,
He does not deceive me
and He does not deny me.
My Father delights to give good things to those who ask Him,
and above all, He delights to give the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, I reject every lie
that says God is harsh, distant, or reluctant.
I renounce every orphan spirit and every fear of rejection.
In the name of Jesus,
I receive God as my good, generous, unchanging Father,
and I position myself to ask, to seek, and to knock.
I declare:
My Father gives good gifts,
and I will come to Him with confidence,
for He will give generously,
without reproach,
according to His perfect wisdom and love.
Amen.”
### Prayer
“Father of lights,
I come to You in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I acknowledge that every good and perfect gift comes from You.
I confess that, at times, I have doubted Your goodness
and suspected Your intentions toward me.
I ask You to forgive me for every thought, word, and attitude
that has misjudged Your character.
Lord, I lay down every false image of You
taken from my experience with human fathers or human authorities.
Wash my mind with Your Word.
Root me and ground me in the revelation
that You are my loving, generous, and faithful Father.
According to Your promise,
I ask You now:
give me the Holy Spirit.
Fill me afresh.
Reveal Jesus more clearly to me.
Witness with my spirit that I am truly Your child.
Break every chain of fear, doubt, and unbelief.
Teach me to ask boldly,
to seek diligently,
and to knock persistently.
Father, I thank You that You do not change.
You were good yesterday,
You are good today,
and You will be good forever.
I choose to trust in Your goodness
and to receive with gratitude
every good and perfect gift You send.
I ask this in the name of Jesus,
Your Son and my Lord.
Amen.”
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