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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, being 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 and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17).
These verses give us a revelation of God as Father and as Giver. Many Christians believe in God’s power, but they are unsure of His goodness. They accept that He is almighty, but they are not persuaded that He is consistently generous. That uncertainty undermines faith, hinders prayer, and opens the door to satanic lies about the character of God.
The song you are meditating on centers around one clear truth: God the Father is a good Father who gives good gifts, especially the Holy Spirit, to those who ask. Our task is to see what the Word of God says, to submit our thinking to Scripture, and to align our expectation with the revealed character of God.
### Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:9–11)
Matthew 7:9–11 is part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). Jesus is teaching His disciples about the righteousness of the kingdom of God—something far deeper than external religion. In chapter 7 He addresses prayer:
> “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)
Immediately after this call to persistent prayer, Jesus gives the illustration in the lyrics:
> “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?” (Matthew 7:9–10)
He is speaking to ordinary Jewish fathers. They were not perfect, but they had natural affection for their children. Jesus uses this human instinct as an argument from the lesser to the greater: if sinful human fathers give good gifts, how much more will the perfect heavenly Father give good things to those who ask.
Luke’s Gospel records a parallel teaching with a crucial emphasis:
> “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13)
Thus in Matthew, the focus is “good things.” In Luke, the focus is “the Holy Spirit.” There is no contradiction. The Holy Spirit is the supreme gift; and in Him, every other good thing is made effective and life-giving.
### James: Trials, Temptation, and the Unchanging Giver (James 1:17)
James writes to scattered Jewish believers who were experiencing trials and pressures. Some were tempted to accuse God in their hearts, as if He were the source of their temptations:
> “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)
In that context, James gives this profound statement:
> “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation nor shadow of turning.” (James 1:17)
He reminds suffering believers: God is not the author of evil, confusion, or moral temptation. He is the unchanging source of every genuinely good and perfect gift. When pressure comes, we must not reinterpret God through our circumstances; we must interpret our circumstances through God as revealed in His Word.
So Matthew presents the Father who answers prayer with good things, and James presents the Father who is the unchanging source of every good and perfect gift. The song brings these truths together in a unified confession.
To understand these passages more deeply, we turn to two key New Testament Greek words.
### 1. “Good” – *agathos* (ἀγαθός)
In Matthew 7:11, “good gifts” is *agatha dómata*—from *agathos*, meaning good in character, beneficial in effect, morally upright, truly advantageous.
It is not a superficial or sentimental “nice.” It refers to what is truly beneficial according to God’s wisdom, not merely what we desire at the moment. God gives good gifts—not just pleasant gifts, not merely comfortable gifts, but gifts that ultimately work for our eternal well-being.
This explains much of the mystery of unanswered prayer. God will not give you a “stone” disguised as bread, nor a “snake” disguised as a fish. Sometimes we are asking for stones and snakes without realizing it. God’s goodness restrains Him from granting what would harm us. His *agathos* nature governs His giving.
### 2. “Perfect” – *teleios* (τέλειος)
James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift…” The word “perfect” is *teleios*, meaning complete, brought to its intended end, mature, lacking nothing.
A *teleios* gift is one that fits exactly into God’s wise purpose for you. It is not partial, defective, or immature. It is suited to lead you toward the goal He has for your life.
Notice the combination in James 1:17: “Every good gift (*agathé dosis*) and every perfect gift (*teleion dórēma*).” God’s gifts are both morally and spiritually beneficial and also complete in relation to His plan for us.
This should govern how we hear the lyrics:
> “Every good and perfect gift
> is from above,
> coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,
> who does not change like shifting shadows.”
We are not dealing with a Father who sometimes blesses and sometimes curses, sometimes nourishes and sometimes poisons. We are dealing with a Father whose gifts are always *agathos* and always *teleios*—good in quality and complete in purpose.
Let us now walk through the themes and lines of the lyrics, allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture.
### A. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?”
Bread was the staple food in that culture. It speaks of what is basic, necessary, sustaining. A stone resembles bread in shape and color, but it has no nourishment.
This is an image of deception and disappointment—giving something that looks like what is needed but is empty of substance. Satan is a master at this. He offers stones where God offers bread.
Jesus Himself is the bread:
The Father does not substitute dead religion, empty ritual, or human philosophy for the living bread of Christ and the living Word. When you ask Him for true spiritual nourishment, He will not give you a stone of lifeless formalism.
### B. “Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?”
Fish was another common source of food. A snake, in contrast, is a symbol of danger, deceit, and satanic activity (Genesis 3; Revelation 12:9).
This image exposes a satanic lie that many believers quietly entertain: “If I ask God for the Holy Spirit, or for spiritual gifts, I might receive something demonic or harmful.”
Jesus answers this fear directly in Luke 11:11–13:
> “If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? … If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
The Holy Spirit is never a snake. To suggest that asking God sincerely for the Holy Spirit might open the door to demons is to accuse God of violating His own fatherhood.
This is vital in spiritual warfare. Satan seeks to keep the Church weak by instilling fear of the Holy Spirit. But Scripture is clear: if you come to the Father through Jesus, cleansed by His blood, and ask Him for the Holy Spirit, you will receive a good gift, not an evil one.
### C. “If you, though evil, know how to give good gifts to your children…”
Jesus describes humanity as “evil” (*ponēroi* – morally fallen, corrupted). Even in our fallen state, natural affection operates to some degree. Parents instinctively care for their children.
If flawed human parents can still give good things, what does that tell us about God?
It demolishes a particular form of unbelief that says, “I care more about my wellbeing than God does.” That is a satanic lie. God’s love is not less than human love; it is infinitely greater, purer, and wiser.
Notice the logic:
Many believers need to repent of an inner suspicion that God’s heart is somehow reluctant or stingy. Suspicion of God is unbelief in disguise.
### D. “How much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him.”
Those three words—“how much more”—are the key. Jesus is not simply saying that God gives; He says God gives more and God gives better.
Other Scriptures confirm this:
If the Father has already given the greatest gift—His Son—everything else is less. The cross is the guarantee that God is not withholding His goodness from you.
The condition Jesus attaches is simple but profound: “to those who ask Him.” The Greek verb in Matthew 7:7–8 is continuous: “keep on asking,” “keep on seeking,” “keep on knocking.” This is not vain repetition, but persistent, believing prayer that refuses to attribute indifference or cruelty to God.
### E. “How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
This line (from Luke 11:13) identifies the primary “good gift” as the Holy Spirit Himself.
Theologically, we must distinguish:
When Jesus promises the Father will “give the Holy Spirit to those who ask,” He is speaking to disciples already following Him, yet instructed to wait for the “promise of the Father” (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4–5).
The Holy Spirit is:
Without the Holy Spirit, even good teaching remains theory. With the Holy Spirit, the Word becomes living and active in us.
The Father’s greatest gift is not a thing, but a Person. The supreme expression of His generosity is to share His own Spirit with His children.
### F. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…”
Here James adds another dimension. God is “the Father of lights”—the Creator of heavenly luminaries (sun, moon, stars). They change, they move, they cast varying shadows as they turn. But God does not change.
“Does not change” comes from *par’ ho ouk eni parallagē ē tropēs aposkiasma*—no variation, no turning shadow. God’s character is steady. He is not good one day and harsh the next. His gifts are consistently good and perfect.
This truth is crucial in spiritual warfare. Satan attacks the character of God. From Eden onward his main strategy has been: “Has God indeed said…?” (Genesis 3:1). He tries to sow doubt regarding God’s Word and God’s goodness.
James counters this: if something is genuinely “good” and “perfect,” it is from God. If it is evil, corrupting, or morally tempting, it is not from God.
So when you experience condemnation, confusion, or enticement to sin, you may be sure: this is not a gift from the Father. He is the Father of lights, not of shadows and moral darkness.
### G. “Who does not change like shifting shadows.”
This line, repeated in the lyrics, is a safeguard for your faith. Faith must rest not on fluctuating feelings, but on the unchanging nature of God.
If God’s nature changed, His promises would be unreliable. But because He does not change, His promises are as secure today as when they were first spoken.
Therefore, passages like Matthew 7:7–11 and James 1:17 are not cultural relics. They are eternal statements of the Father’s heart toward all His children in every generation.
### H. “Your Father gives good gifts—ask Him, and He will give generously.”
This lyric captures the core message. Notice the sequence:
1. Identity: “Your Father” – not a distant deity, but your Father in heaven.
2. Character: He “gives good gifts.”
3. Response required: “Ask Him.”
4. Promise: “He will give generously.”
This is consistent with other Scriptures:
Many believers live below their inheritance not because God is unwilling to give, but because they have not aligned with His conditions: ask in faith, with right motives, and persistently.
Generosity is part of the Father’s nature:
But in a special way, He gives spiritual gifts—wisdom, grace, the Holy Spirit, ministry gifts, spiritual gifts—for those who ask in faith and obedience.
The revelation of God as the Giver of good gifts must not remain theoretical. It calls for a specific response in four areas.
### 1. Renounce Wrong Thoughts about the Father
Many have internalized false images of God—perhaps shaped by abusive, distant, or inconsistent human fathers. These must be brought into the light of Scripture.
We must say, with the psalmist:
> “For You are good, and do good.” (Psalm 119:68)
Practical step:
Verbally renounce any inner accusation against God’s goodness. Say aloud, “Father, I repent for believing that You are harsh, indifferent, or unwilling to bless me. Your Word says You give good gifts, and I choose to believe Your Word.”
This is spiritual warfare. You are dismantling strongholds in the mind (2 Corinthians 10:4–5).
### 2. Ask Specifically, in Faith, for the Holy Spirit
Jesus attaches a clear promise to a clear condition: “How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13).
If you have never consciously received the fullness of the Holy Spirit, you should ask:
Do not rely on feelings. Receive by faith the promise of God. Then begin to act on that faith—worship, pray, speak and serve as someone empowered by the Spirit.
### 3. Align Your Requests with God’s Definition of “Good”
Since God’s gifts are *agathos* and *teleios*, we must ask according to His will and wisdom.
1 John 5:14–15 gives a key principle:
> “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”
We discover His will in His Word. So when you ask for wisdom (James 1:5), holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:3), spiritual gifts for service (1 Corinthians 14:1), you are asking for things God has already revealed as “good.”
Practical step:
Before praying, ask: “Does the Word of God endorse what I am asking for?” If so, ask boldly. If not, ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance to reshape your desires.
### 4. Practice Thanksgiving and Proclamation
Faith is expressed not only in asking but in thanking and proclaiming.
By thanking God for His goodness and proclaiming His promises, you cooperate with the Holy Spirit in renewing your mind. This also resists the devil, who thrives in atmospheres of complaint and unbelief.
Practical step:
Make a habit of daily thanking God aloud for specific good and perfect gifts you have already received—salvation, the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures, fellowship, answered prayers. This reinforces the truth: your Father is a good Giver.
### Proclamation
Speak this out loud, slowly and deliberately, as an act of faith:
> I affirm today that God is my Father in heaven.
> He is good and He does good.
> I renounce every lie that says He is harsh, distant, or unwilling to bless me.
> According to Matthew 7:11,
> though I am by nature evil,
> I still know how to give good gifts to my children.
> How much more then will my Father in heaven
> give good things to me when I ask.
> According to Luke 11:13,
> my heavenly Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.
> I have asked, and I receive the Holy Spirit as God’s good gift.
> According to James 1:17,
> every good gift and every perfect gift in my life
> comes from above,
> from the Father of lights,
> who does not change like shifting shadows.
> His character is steady. His goodness is constant.
> I choose to trust His wisdom in what He gives and what He withholds.
> My Father gives good gifts,
> and I will ask Him with confidence,
> knowing that He gives generously and without reproach.
> This is my portion as His child,
> in Jesus’ name. Amen.
### Prayer
Father in heaven,
I come to You through the blood of Jesus Christ, Your Son.
I thank You that You are a good Father,
that every good and perfect gift comes from You.
Where I have accused You in my heart,
forgive me.
Where I have believed the lies of Satan about Your character,
cleanse my mind and renew it by Your Word.
Heavenly Father,
You have promised to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask.
I ask You now:
fill me afresh with Your Holy Spirit.
Empower me to live in holiness,
to walk in love,
to serve in Your strength,
and to pray with confidence in Your goodness.
Teach me to ask according to Your will.
Teach me to recognize and receive the good gifts You are giving.
Establish in me a steadfast trust in Your unchanging nature.
I declare that You are the Father of lights,
and there is no darkness in You.
I receive Your good gifts today with gratitude and faith.
In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.
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