“God’s NO — As Good As His YES”

Let me ask you a question. As a parent have you ever been worn down by your kids ….. they keep asking and asking until you finally give in. Is the following scenario at all familiar to you?

“Daddy, can I have a donut?” No, it’s too close to dinner…. “But daddy, I’m really hungry…..” I said, no donut. “I’m starving to death, I really need a donut.” If you keep asking, you’re going to get something other than a donut. “Mmmmmmmm, you know daddy I’ve heard that donuts make you smarter, and mommy always lets me have a donut.” If you ask one more time, you are not going to get dinner tonight. “Okay, I guess I’ll just run along and be quiet and quietly starve to death…..” Oh alright, if you will stop pestering me, you can have a half a donut. “Only a half?” Okay, okay, you can have a whole donut…in fact take two donuts…eat all the donuts…… 

In today’s gospel Jesus tells the parable of the persistent neighbor who comes knocking on your door at midnight looking for a donut  loaf of bread for his friend who just arrived…. “I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.” (Luke 11:5-13) 

While we don’t commend the attitude of the whining child begging for a donut, Jesus does commend the virtue of persistence. “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened….. if you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (ibid)

Apparently God doesn’t get annoyed when we continue to ask him for what we think we need. In fact he commends our persistence. Well why doesn’t God just give us what we ask for as soon as we ask for it? Why do we need to be persistent? Very good question Dave…. excellent question. “Hmmmmmmm…… ah let me see, let me see….. hmmmmmm.”

Well, perhaps persistence can purify our motive …… can cause us to think more deeply about our request. Perhaps persistence can separate a deep desire for a good gift from a whim that may not be good for us. Not everything we initially ask for is necessarily good for us. Persistence in prayer may help us to understand our motive and the effect the gift might have on us. We may not be able to handle the particular gift at this time or maybe never. A good father only gives good gifts at the right time to his children. The time between the “first ask and the ultimate giving” can be a very important time of preparing the soil for the gift to take root and grow. 

Anyway, when we believe that we should ask our loving God for something, let’s go for it. Let’s be persistent and not quit until either we’re ready to receive it and it’s given or until we come to realize that it will not be good for us  and then we can thank the Lord for saying NO.  Remember “the Lord’s NO is as good as his YES.” Either response from God is really good news.