How you see God will affect your receiving

Last night both Joshua and I were unable to sleep, so we chatted a bit about Joshua's field trip at Botanic Gardens. Joshua was saying that the children saw the tree house, walked through the hanging bridge and had picnic there. He ate sandwiches and banana. When the teachers were distributing the milk, the other children had normal vanilla milk but when it came to his turn, he got chocolate milk.

He was so happy because he thought he would be getting vanilla milk like the rest but he was surprised! He said God made him feel special and different from the others and he thanked God quietly in his heart for the chocolate milk. This was the first time he told me he thanked God even though he did thank God for many other things before. I was really amazed at his heart of gratitude and thanksgiving even for a small thing like this.

His simple sharing caused me to think about how we receive from God. My pastor preached a sermon last Sunday talking about how we view God will affect how we receive from Him. Like the parable of the prodigal son, the older brother was unhappy when the father threw a party to celebrate his younger brother's homecoming. Luke 15:29-32 gave an account of their conversation. The older brother complained 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.' The father replied 'Son, you are always with me and all that I have is yours.'

It was really sad for the older brother to see his father, who is a picture of our heavenly Father, as someone who is hard and tough. The older brother is bitter because he is jealous and resentful. He goes by the law but he has no heart for the Father. The truth is our Father is unfairly good to us. His heart is one that is full of mercy, love and compassion for us. He is so ever ready to bless us, more than we are ready to receive. If only we could have eyes of faith to see that all our Father has belongs to us!

What are we conscious of? The supply from our Father is always there but sometimes we are so focused on our lack, on the natural circumstances that we cannot even receive a small thing from Him. The fact is God's supply is far greater than our needs. As we thank God for the little in the natural, we are telling Him that He is able to multiply the little and bless us exceedingly above what we ask or think. All glory to God!