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“Let us look at what the Word of God says.”
> “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,
> how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
> — Matthew 7:11 (NKJV)
> “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 (NKJV)
These two passages give us a revelation of God as Father and as Giver. The theme that runs through the song is this:
God is a good Father who gives good gifts, especially the gift of the Holy Spirit, to those who come and ask.
Many believers struggle with doubt, fear, and uncertainty about God’s willingness to bless them. Some secretly believe God is reluctant, tight-fisted, or unpredictable. These verses, and the lyrics built on them, confront that lie. They reveal a God who is:
They also reveal a condition that God Himself has set:
He gives to those who ask, and to those who come to Him.
The song is a call to faith: to see God as He has revealed Himself in Scripture, and to approach Him boldly, especially for the greatest gift—the Holy Spirit.
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### Matthew 7:11 – Jesus Teaching on the Father
Matthew 7:11 is part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). Jesus is speaking primarily to His disciples, with crowds listening in. In Matthew 7:7–11 He is teaching on prayer:
> “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you…” (v.7)
He then gives a very simple, human analogy:
> “Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
> Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?” (vv. 9–10)
His audience understood parental instincts. Even fallen, sinful parents know how to respond to their children’s basic needs with good things, not harmful things. Jesus then makes a how much more argument:
> “If you then, being evil,
> know how to give good gifts to your children,
> how much more will your Father who is in heaven
> give good things to those who ask Him!” (v.11)
He is contrasting earthly, sinful parents with the heavenly, perfect Father. The point is not to shame human parents but to highlight the breathtaking goodness of God.
In Luke’s parallel account (Luke 11:13), the emphasis is sharpened:
> “How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Matthew emphasizes “good things.” Luke specifies the chief good gift: the Holy Spirit.
### James 1:17 – Gifts in the Midst of Trials
James writes to scattered Jewish believers facing trials, temptations, and confusion. In James 1 he deals with two central issues:
1. How to respond to trials
2. The source of temptation
He makes it very clear that God is not the author of temptation to evil:
> “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’;
> for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.” (James 1:13)
Then he contrasts the evil that arises from within man with the good that comes from above:
> “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.” (v.17)
James is teaching believers to discern the source of what comes into their lives. If it is good, perfect, aligned with God’s character and His Word—it comes from the Father. If it is evil, corrupt, defiling—its source is not God, but sin and Satan.
Placed side by side, Matthew 7:11 and James 1:17 give us a complete picture:
The song is built upon this revelation of God’s nature as Father and Giver.
---
### 1. “Good” – Greek: *agathos* (ἀγαθός)
In Matthew 7:11:
> “give good gifts to your children… give good things to those who ask Him”
The word translated “good” is ἀγαθός (*agathos*). This word does not merely mean “nice” or “pleasant.” It refers to:
This corrects a common misunderstanding. God’s “good gifts” are not always the things we want in the flesh, but the things that are intrinsically good for us according to His wisdom and purpose.
So when the lyrics say:
> “He gives good things
> to those who come to Him”
We are not dealing with God blindly endorsing our every desire. We are dealing with a Father who sees what is truly beneficial, eternal, and righteous, and gives accordingly.
### 2. “Perfect” – Greek: *teleios* (τέλειος)
In James 1:17:
> “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…”
The word translated “perfect” is τέλειος (*teleios*), meaning:
So God’s gifts are not only good in nature; they are complete and sufficient. They are tailored to bring us to maturity, to the intended goal of our calling.
When we understand *agathos* and *teleios*, we see that God’s gifts are:
This gives depth to the song’s repeated declaration “He gives good gifts.” The emphasis is not emotional, but theological. God’s generosity is wise, purposeful, and perfect.
---
Let us walk through the themes of the lyrics and measure them against Scripture.
### A. “If you then, though you are evil…”
> “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!”
Jesus makes a clear statement about human nature: “you are evil.” That is, human beings, in their natural condition, are fallen, sinful, and morally corrupted.
This is consistent with all of Scripture:
Yet—even in this fallen condition—parents retain something of the image of God in their instinct to care for their children. Jesus appeals to this instinct not to glorify man, but to magnify the “how much more” of God’s goodness.
The pattern is this:
This phrase “how much more” is crucial. It appears repeatedly in Jesus’ teaching (e.g., Luke 12:24, 28) as an argument for trust. If God cares for birds and lilies, how much more for His children? If sinful parents give, how much more the heavenly Father.
So the lyrics are pressing this home:
We must not project our broken human experiences of fatherhood on God. Instead, we must allow God’s revelation of Himself to correct our view of fatherhood.
#### Spiritual Warfare Aspect
One of Satan’s primary strategies is to distort the image of God as Father.
If he can make you believe that God is:
then you will not come, you will not ask, and you will not receive.
Jesus demolishes that lie with this simple, powerful comparison. The song echoes this demolition, repeating:
> “How much more will your Father in heaven
> give good gifts to those who ask!”
Faith is strengthened when we meditate on these words. Faith comes by hearing the Word (Romans 10:17). Repetition is not empty; it is a tool to drive truth deeper into our hearts.
---
### B. “He gives generously… to those who come to Him”
> “He gives generously,
> He gives good things
> to those who come to Him.”
Here we find two core truths:
1. God’s character: He gives generously.
2. Man’s response: to those who come to Him.
James states the same truth:
> “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
> — James 1:5
“Liberally” or “generously” here is from the Greek haplōs (ἁπλῶς), meaning:
God does not give with reluctance or mixed motives. He gives from a single, pure intention of love.
However, the song is also careful to maintain the condition:
> “to those who come to Him”
This lines up precisely with Hebrews 11:6:
> “He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
God is generous, but He has linked His generosity to approach and asking. This is not because He is reluctant, but because He has ordained relationship, dependence, and faith as the channel of His blessing.
---
### C. “How much more… give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
> “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!”
This portion of the lyrics quotes directly from Luke 11:13. Here the “good things” of Matthew 7:11 are specified as the Holy Spirit.
This is a crucial theological point:
The greatest gift the Father gives is Himself, in the Person of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is:
Every other “good and perfect gift” is rooted in, or mediated through, the ministry of the Holy Spirit. To receive the Holy Spirit in fullness is to receive God’s own life, power, and presence.
Notice again the condition:
> “to those who ask Him!”
Many believers live spiritually dry, powerless lives because they have never met this condition. They have never clearly, deliberately, persistently asked the Father for the Holy Spirit.
Jesus commands His disciples to ask. This is not a one-time event only, but a posture of ongoing dependence.
---
### D. “Every good and perfect gift is from above…”
> “Every good and perfect gift
> is from above,
> coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,
> who does not change like shifting shadows.”
The lyrics now move from the words of Jesus to the words of James, but the message is the same. We now see three truths:
1. The origin: “from above”
2. The identity of the Giver: “the Father of lights”
3. The unchanging nature of the Giver: “no variation or shadow of turning”
#### 1. “From above”
This is the same phrase used in James 3:17:
> “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable…”
What is from above is:
The believer must learn to test what comes into his life: Does it bear the marks of what is “from above” or of what is “earthly, sensual, demonic” (James 3:15)?
#### 2. “Father of lights”
This title connects God with creation:
“God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)
So everything that truly comes from Him will never promote darkness, deception, or sin.
#### 3. “No variation or shadow of turning”
Unlike the lights in the heavens, which cast shadows and change with seasons and movements, God is unchangeable. The theological word is immutability.
This means the God who spoke in Matthew 7 and James 1 is the same today. His generosity is not a temporary mood. It is His eternal nature.
So when the lyrics repeat:
> “Your Father in heaven gives good gifts—
> ask Him, and He will give generously.”
They are grounded in this reality:
God’s goodness is not seasonal. It is permanent. Therefore, our coming, asking, and receiving are not based on shifting feelings, but on unchanging truth.
---
### E. “To those who come to Him”
The repeated emphasis in the lyrics is very deliberate:
This defines who can receive:
Jesus says:
> “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Hebrews says:
> “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,
> that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)
Jesus also says:
> “The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” (John 6:37)
Spiritual warfare often centers on this point:
Satan will do almost anything to stop you from coming. He will accuse you, condemn you, distract you, or fill you with fear. Why? Because he knows that those who come and ask receive.
The lyrics, rooted in Scripture, are a weapon against that resistance. They reprogram our thinking:
---
The Word of God always calls for a response. Theology must lead to practice. How then do we walk in this reality of God as generous Father and Giver?
### First, we must repent of wrong views of God as Father.
Many believers carry hidden resentment, suspicion, or fear toward God because of experiences with earthly fathers, or because of unhealed disappointments.
We must align ourselves with Jesus’ revelation:
Repentance here means deliberately renouncing every lie that says:
We replace these lies with the truth of Matthew 7:11 and James 1:17.
### Second, we must come and ask in faith.
Jesus does not say, “Your Father will give good gifts to everyone automatically.” He says, “to those who ask Him.”
We must:
Faith is not presumption. It is confidence in God’s character as revealed in His Word. We can say, “Father, You have promised to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. I am asking now in the name of Jesus.”
James 1:6–7 warns that we must not ask with unbelief and double-mindedness. We must settle it in our hearts: God is good, God is generous, and God keeps His Word.
### Third, we must prioritize the greatest gift: the Holy Spirit.
Many ask for material and temporal blessings—and God does care for these things. But Jesus directs our attention to the supreme gift: the Holy Spirit.
We should regularly, intentionally ask:
To ask for the Holy Spirit is to ask for God’s own presence and power to rule in your life.
### Fourth, we must recognize and thank God for every good and perfect gift.
James says, “Every good gift… is from above.” This means:
All these are “from above.”
Spiritual maturity includes learning to trace every good and perfect thing back to the Father of lights. This cultivates gratitude and strengthens our faith to ask for more.
---
### Proclamation (Confession of Faith)
Speak this out loud, deliberately, as an act of faith:
> I confess that God is my Father in heaven.
> I confess that, though I was evil and fallen,
> He loved me and received me through Jesus Christ.
> I declare that my Father in heaven gives good gifts.
> He is the Father of lights,
> with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
> Every good and perfect gift in my life comes from Him.
> He is generous. He gives liberally, without reproach.
> I reject every lie that says God is hard, distant, or stingy.
> I embrace the truth of His Word:
> “How much more will your Father in heaven
> give good things to those who ask Him!”
> Therefore, I come, and I ask.
> Father, in the name of Jesus,
> I ask You now for the Holy Spirit in greater measure.
> I receive by faith Your good and perfect gifts,
> and I choose to live as a thankful, trusting child
> of my generous heavenly Father.
> Amen.
### Prayer
Father, we come to You in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We acknowledge You as our Father in heaven and as the Father of lights.
We thank You that every good and perfect gift comes from You,
and that You do not change like shifting shadows.
Lord, we repent for every wrong thought we have had about You—
for doubting Your goodness, suspecting Your motives,
or fearing that You would give us something harmful.
We renounce these lies and we submit to Your Word.
Now, according to Your promise, we ask:
Heavenly Father, give us the Holy Spirit.
Fill us afresh.
Release in us Your power, Your love, Your wisdom.
Let the fruit of the Spirit grow in our lives.
Let the gifts of the Spirit operate for Your glory.
Teach us to come to You quickly, to ask boldly,
and to recognize and thank You
for every good and perfect gift You pour into our lives.
We receive Your generosity by faith,
and we choose to walk as sons and daughters
who trust fully in their Father in heaven.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
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