Lessons from the King: Our Good Father

 Imagine this: In November 1844, George Mueller, a Victorian-era Christian known for his care of orphans, began praying for the conversion of five individuals. He didn’t just toss up a quick prayer and call it a day. No, he prayed for them every single day—whether he was sick or healthy, at home or on the road, swamped with work or free.

Eighteen months later, the first came to faith. Mueller thanked God and kept praying. Five years after that, the second was converted. Six more years passed before the third found Christ. Still, two remained—sons of a friend—unconverted. Did Mueller give up? Not a chance. He kept praying daily, trusting God’s goodness.

Thirty-six years into this journey, he wrote, “They are not converted yet, but they will be.” And in 1897—fifty-two years after he began, and after Mueller himself had gone to be with the Lord—those final two men gave their lives to Christ.

What fueled such relentless prayer? Mueller knew God as a good Father—one who hears, who cares, and who gives good gifts, even if the answers take a lifetime to unfold.

That’s the heartbeat of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 7:7-12. Because God is our good Father, we can ask boldly, seek persistently, and trust Him fully—both for ourselves and for the way we love others.

Living as Citizens of the Kingdom

In this series, Lessons from the King, we’ve been unpacking Jesus’ proclamation that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. He didn’t just announce it; He taught us what it means to live as citizens of that Kingdom. That is what the Sermon on the Mount is about.

And here’s the thing: citizenship isn’t about following a checklist of rules out of fear of punishment. You can obey laws and still not be loyal. True righteousness—true citizenship—flows from a transformed heart, a heart loyal to King Jesus. That’s what matters.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus keeps circling back to the condition of our hearts. We’ll live righteous lives if our hearts are good—but how do we get there? As He nears the end of this teaching, that’s the question He’s tackling: How can we have transformed hearts?

Let’s walk through Matthew 7:7-12 to find out, starting with the middle section—verses 9-11—because it’s the key that unlocks the rest.

God Is Our Good Father (vv. 9-11)

Jesus asks a simple question: “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’re a parent, you feel this in your bones. Love compels us to give our kids what they need—and often what they want, too. It hurts when we can’t. But let’s be honest: we’re also selfish. Sometimes we don’t want to be bothered, or we prioritize our own desires. There’s a conflict of interests inside us.

Now compare that to God. Jesus says, “How much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him?”

If we, flawed as we are, can provide for our kids out of love, how much more can we trust God to provide for us? He doesn’t have that inner conflict—He loves us fully and desires what’s best for us.

I was reminded of this recently with our car troubles. We had front axle issues and an air sensor issue. After getting the axle issues fixed, the main display screen announced we needed to insert the Maps DVD. But the DVD was inserted, and now we couldn’t use the radio or the back-up camera. As I was taking it back to the Mechanic I heard a sound, I opened up the DVD player and the Maps DVD came out. I reinserted it, and it reinstalled. At that moment it hit me: I could trust God to provide for us. He’s not distant or stingy. He’s not waiting to condemn us—He sent Jesus to save us, to show us mercy, to bring us into His Kingdom. We can put our faith in Him because He’s a good Father.

We Can Be Confident in Asking (vv. 7-8)

With that in mind, Jesus says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened.”

This kind of boldness in prayer was radical in the ancient world. Teachers didn’t go around telling people they could be confident God would answer. But Jesus does—because God is a good Father.

To get this right, we need context. Jesus isn’t handing us a blank check for anything we want. He’s still addressing how we live righteous lives, how holiness flows from our hearts.

In Luke’s parallel account (Luke 11:13), the “good gift” is named as the Holy Spirit—God’s wisdom and power to live as Kingdom citizens. This is what we’re to pray for.

God doesn’t want us independent of Him; He wants us dependent on Him. Unlike parents raising kids to stand on their own, God calls us to mature into deeper reliance on Him.

Dallas Willard put it this way: “We consume the most grace by leading a holy life, upheld by grace—not by continuing to sin and being repeatedly forgiven.”

So what do you need to live as a citizen of the Kingdom? Wisdom? Strength to crucify your flesh? Guidance? Transformation? Ask God for it—boldly—knowing He’ll provide.

We Can Treat Others with Love (v. 12)

Then Jesus ties it all together: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

That “therefore” (missing in some translations) is crucial. Because God is good, we can fulfill the Law and Prophets—not through rules, but through love.

We can be generous because God is generous to us. We can forgive because He’s forgiven us. We can show mercy because He’s shown mercy to us.

Back in verse 2, Jesus warned that the standard we use to judge others will be used on us. So we choose mercy, just as we’d want mercy for ourselves.

How do we live this out? Assume the best about people, not the worst. Maybe they’ve had a bad day, or they’re wrestling with grief, depression, or doubt. Give them the same grace you give yourself when you say, “I lost track of time,” “I’m not feeling well,” or “I didn’t sleep last night.”

A Challenge and a Thought

Take some time this week to meditate on what it means for God to be your good Father. Then ask Him—confidently—for the wisdom or transformation you need.

John Eldredge writes in The Way of the Wild Heart:

“You are the son of a kind, strong, and engaged Father, a Father wise enough to guide you in the Way, generous enough to provide for your journey, offering to walk with you every step. This is perhaps the hardest thing for us to believe—really believe, down deep in our hearts, so that it changes us forever, changes the way we approach each day.”

Do we believe God is our good Father? The more we trust Him, the more we’ll experience transformation in our lives.

Lessons from the King: Don’t Worry

 

The Struggle Between Earthly and Heavenly Priorities

Imagine sorting your life into three categories: rubber, metal, and glass. Tim Sanders, former chief solutions officer at Yahoo! and author of Love Is the Killer App, uses this analogy to explain how we handle life’s ups and downs. Rubber things—like missing a Seahawks game—bounce back with little fuss. Metal things—like missing an important meeting—clang loudly when dropped, causing temporary chaos but nothing irreparable. Then there’s glass—the irreplaceable treasures like your marriage, family, deepest relationships, and spiritual well-being. When glass shatters, no amount of effort can fully restore it.

The challenge is clear: we all know what’s "glass" in our lives. So, what’s our priority? What’s the one thing we should devote ourselves to, the thing that puts everything else into place? Jesus has been teaching about the heart—our desires, beliefs, thoughts, and will. He’s shown us that the condition of our hearts determines whether we’re citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. At the core of that heart must be faithfulness. Without it, we can’t belong to God’s Kingdom. Today’s text, Matthew 6:19-34, brings this truth into sharp focus.

Last week, we saw how Jesus emphasized motivation over mere actions in spiritual disciplines. If we pray, give, or fast to impress others, we’ve already received our reward. But if we do these things to connect with God and honor Him, He blesses us with answered prayer and a place in His Kingdom. That sets the stage for today’s lesson: trusting God completely. Let’s walk through the text together.

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Storing Up True Treasure (vv. 19-21)

Jesus begins, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” Earthly treasures—money, possessions, status—are temporary. Moths eat them, rust corrodes them, thieves take them. Why spend your life chasing what won’t last? Instead, store up treasures in heaven—love, generosity, kindness, forgiveness—the character traits of Kingdom citizens. These are eternal.

Where your treasure is, Jesus says, there your heart will be. What we value shapes our devotion. Are we truly invested in God’s Kingdom, or are we just paying it lip service? Ask yourself: What’s more important—investments or spiritual maturity?

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A Clear or Clouded Vision (vv. 22-23)

Next, Jesus says, “The eye is the lamp of the body.” Our spiritual perception guides our lives. A healthy eye—one focused generously on God—brings light, helping us see what He values and grow in His character. But an unhealthy eye—stingy and fixated on wealth—plunges us into darkness. Greed blinds us to truth and robs us of the life God intends.

What dominates your vision: God’s Kingdom or worldly wealth?

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The Danger of Divided Devotion (v. 24)

Here’s the heart of the Sermon on the Mount: “No one can serve two masters.” Jesus pits God against money (or "Mammon"). He’s not saying money itself is evil—only that serving it is idolatry. Devotion to wealth competes with devotion to God. When God is in His rightful place, money and possessions fall into theirs. Jesus forces a choice: we’ll love one and despise the other.

So, who rules your heart—God or materialism?

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Overcoming Worry with Trust (vv. 25-32)

Jesus commands, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink.” Worry stems from a lack of trust in God’s provision—the opposite of “Give us today our daily bread.” This doesn’t mean we ignore responsibilities or stop working hard. It means trusting God to provide.

Look at the birds—they don’t fret over food, yet God feeds them. Consider the lilies—they don’t toil, yet God clothes them beautifully. If God cares for them, how much more will He care for us, His children? Worry is futile—it doesn’t add a day to our lives. Worse, it’s what pagans do. Kingdom citizens trust God instead.

Does your worry reveal a heart not fully trusting Him?

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The Key to True Security: Seeking God’s Kingdom (vv. 33-34)

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you.” That’s the antidote to worry. Prioritize God’s will—live by faith, trust, holiness, and disciple-making—and He’ll meet your needs, often through His people, the church. Align your life with His purposes, and trust Him daily.

Don’t be consumed by tomorrow—God’s got it covered. Shift your focus: seek God first, and let Him handle the rest.

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Who Do You Trust?

Jesus didn’t just teach this—He lived it. He surrendered everything to the Father, even His life on the cross, so we could become Kingdom citizens. We’re called to trust God to mature us, guide us, and provide for us. The Kingdom of Heaven is better than the reality we know now, and God will supply what we need if we stop worrying about the details.

It’s easy to say we trust God, but our focus—what we pursue—and our worries—what we dwell on—reveal the truth. How do we grow in trust? Through spiritual disciplines: prayer, gratitude, and meditating on Scripture.

Here’s the challenge:

Surrender your worries and seek God first. Examine what concerns you, confess it to God, ask Him to build your trust, and then do your part—handle your responsibilities while leaving the rest to Him.

We can’t serve two masters. Citizens of the Kingdom trust God with their treasures, needs, and future because He’s the only Master worth serving.

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Prayer

Thank God for Jesus, who made you part of His Kingdom. Ask Him to teach you to trust Him fully. Commit to following the Holy Spirit’s guidance. If God’s calling you to follow Jesus more closely today, don’t wait—take that next step.

Live by Faith

 

"As long as man hovers within the safety of his sight and his visible resources, relatively little will be accomplished."

— Arthur Harrington, What The Bible Says About Leadership

For much of my life I have struggled with my purpose. I have felt like a team of trained monkeys could do what I do.

I don’t possess any superstar qualities that make me stand out from the crowd. While I have certain talents, none of them are unique to me—nothing that others don’t share. My talents are common and ordinary. When the world looks at me, I’m just one among the masses of everyday people.

When I evaluate my abilities, it becomes clear that I’m not likely to make a significant impact on a large number of people. I don’t have the skill set or the influence to make a huge difference in the world. Thinking like this ensures that I *won’t* make a lasting impact. When we only do the things we feel confident in or limit ourselves to what we think our resources will allow, we achieve very little.

The problem isn’t a lack of self-esteem; it’s a lack of faith.

Living by faith means understanding that it’s not about our talents or resources—it’s about God’s power working through us. Stepping out to do God’s will, even when we lack the skills and resources, gives God the opportunity to work through us in ways we can’t predict or imagine.

That doesn't mean every step of faith will result in what we consider a "success." Sometimes, even when we’re confident we’re doing God’s will, things don’t turn out the way we hoped. I can recall several times when I stepped out in faith, knowing I was following God’s direction, only to see things unfold in ways I didn’t expect. What we see as failure doesn’t mean God’s will wasn’t accomplished. It just means God’s agenda is different from ours.

The early church in Acts provides an incredible example of what living by faith looks like:

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.

Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

— Acts 2:42-47 (CSB)

These early Christians were just like us. They didn’t have exceptional resources or talents. What they did have, they offered to God. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. Instead of focusing on what they lacked, they concentrated on how God wanted them to live, trusting Him to provide for their needs.

Living by faith means focusing on God’s will, not on our limitations. It requires us to understand that if we are doing God’s will, He will provide what’s needed to accomplish the task. If we wait until we have the resources or the skills before taking action, we’ll miss out on seeing God work through us to make an impact in this world.

Let’s not hesitate to take that step of faith. God doesn’t ask us to wait until we’re fully equipped—He calls us to trust Him, knowing He will equip us along the way.

The Path of Surrender

"A life of absolute surrender has its difficulties. I do not deny that. Yes, it has something for more than difficulties: it is a life that with men is absolutely impossible. But by the grace of God, by the power of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, it is a life to which we are destined, and a life that is possible for us, praise God! Let us believe that God will maintain it." 

Andrew Murray, Humility and Absolute Surrender; p. 72

Surrendering our lives to God is not easy, but it is the only way we can become the people God created us to be. Andrew Murray, a South African writer and pastor (1828-1917) taught about this theme of surrender quite often. He recognized that surrendering was not a natural thing to do, and therefore it would not be easy, but that it was an essential part of our discipleship.

In Matthew 16:24-25, Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." 

Here Jesus taught that surrendering to God requires denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following him.

Living a life of surrender means that we hand over the control of our lives, our plans, and our desires to God. To surrender our lives means acknowledging that God knows what is best for us, even when God’s will goes against our desires. Total surrender to God requires a level of humility that is hard to achieve in a world that values self-reliance, self-promotion, and personal achievements above almost everything else.

Surrendering to God will also require us to go against the cultural expectations of society, to make choices that are unpopular, and to have morals and values that seem odd the people around us. This can lead us to face criticism, rejection, and even persecution for our faith. 

When we surrender we will also need to give up some of the activities and pleasures that we once thought were essential to our happiness because they do not align with God’s will.

Despite the challenges, living a life surrendered to God is not impossible. As we walk this path of faith, we will need to trust that God will sustain us and guide us every step of the way. 

To do this we need to stay connected to God through prayer, reading the Bible, meditating on the truth of Scripture, reorienting our lives through worship, and spending time with other Christians. What this means is that surrendering to God is a daily decision, a constant giving up of ourselves to His will.

So today, let us make the decision to take up our cross, deny ourselves, and follow Jesus. It is crucial for us to remember to trust in His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit as we live a life of surrender to God.

Prayer: Dear God, help us to surrender ourselves completely to You. Give us the strength to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. Help us to trust in Your grace and the power of the Holy Spirit as we walk this path of surrender. Amen.