Good

“You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people 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 11.11-13]

Let's just get practical, shall we? Jesus made a very clear point to show the character of the Father God in the statement above.

If sinful people know what a good gift is, then God surely knows what a good gift is!

Snakes and scorpions are not good gifts! Why? Because they bite and sting. Because they cause great pain. Because they bring about death and destruction.

So why in the world would anyone EVER attribute bad things - things involving pain, death, and destruction - to the work of God as if they were gifts from Him?

Furthermore, Jesus did not limit God to just giving good gifts. Instead, Jesus defined what God gives (as the opposite of bad gifts) as the Holy Spirit. Why? Because the Holy Spirit is our connection with every good thing God has. Period. Everything. Salvation, healing, provision, strength, wisdom, knowledge, endurance, - every good thing God has. Every good thing one might expect in heaven is ours by the Holy Spirit's presence in us.

Yes.

Father, thank You that You have given me Your Holy Spirit! Thank You that You are dwelling in me. Thank You that every good and perfect gift is mine to have, but more importantly, mine to give, because of Your indwelling Spirit!