Be Still And Know

James 4:2-3 My wife and I have three children. I am well used to them asking me for things, and I am really pleased that they do so - even more now that they are adults. However, there are limits to what I am happy to give them. That’s not because of a lack of love, but because I love them. If they ask me for something which I know will cause problems or damage them, I will say a firm: “No”. This is exactly the principle behind today’s verses. God loves to give us gifts because he is incredibly generous. But he refuses to give us things when we ask with bad motives because he knows the outcome will be disastrous. It’s a weak and unloving father who piles gifts on his children simply because that’s what they’ve asked for. If we are only seeking to satisfy our own selfish desires, our loving heavenly Father will say no. So what should we be asking God for? He loves it when we ask for his love, joy and peace, and when we ask him to strengthen and guide us. Those are exactly the gifts he loves to give