October 16 Daily Devotional

A Father's Gifts

Charles and Norma Ellis

Bible Reading:

Matthew 7:7-12

⁷Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
⁸For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
⁹Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
¹⁰Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
¹¹If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
¹²Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Devotional:

It is not normal for love to remain penned up within us, unexpressed. It needs to express itself in some way. In Scripture one of the ways in which we frequently see fathers expressing love for their children is by giving. In this they are but following the example set by God the Father.

This section speaks of the good gifts fathers give to their children. To know how our heavenly Father gives to His children who ask is an encouragement to pray. Elsewhere we see specifically that He will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. The Holy Spirit is God Himself! God will give Himself to His children who ask.

Do we really give our children what they ask for? When possible we do. Do we give them the attention they are asking for when they quietly slip into the room while we are reading? Do we give them time they tacitly ask for from our busy schedule? Do we give them teaching they ask for when they express doubts and uncertainty? Do we give them the correction and punishment they 'ask for' when they are disobedient? Are we really expressing our love for our children by our gifts?

What about ourselves as children of God? How much do we ask of our Father? Our children should be learning by our example to ask God for the good gifts He has promised to give. How vital is prayer in our home? We should give evidence that we really expect our heavenly Father to hear and answer our prayers according to His power and good pleasure.

What are we waiting for?

We are happy to have obtained permission to post as our current daily devotional Heirs Together of Life: Daily Bible Reading for Husbands and Wives, published by The Banner of Truth Trust. Don't be misled by the subtitle. As the book's "Preface" indicates (see below), although Heirs Together of Life is "especially prepared for couples,"the authors declare, "Since the basis for this guide is God's Word, we believe it would have value for any reader."

Charles and Norma Ellis are husband and wife and the authors not only of Heirs Together of Life (which was first published in 1980 and continues in print today), but also of Wells of Salvation (first published in 1985, and likewise still in print today). The latter contains a series of short studies covering the entire book of Isaiah, while the former contains a series of almost 200 short studies covering the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Both books by the Ellises can be ordered from the publisher, The Banner of Truth Trust. We trust that these daily Bible readings, posted daily on our site, will be helpful to you in your Christian walk before God. Whether married or not, all of us are members of families and members of the family of God.

Charles Ellis was educated at Wheaton College and Westminster Theological Seminary. Upon graduation from Westminster (where he earned not only a Th.B. but also a Th.M.), he was ordained to the ministry in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and pastored a number of OPC churches, including Immanuel OPC in West Collingswood, New Jersey; First OPC in Cincinnati, Ohio; Covenant OPC in East Orange, New Jersey; Knox OPC in Silver Spring, Maryland; and Lakeview OPC in Rockport, Maine. Less biographical information is available about his wife, but it is known that they served as parents of seven children. After retiring from the ministry, Charles Ellis went to be with the Lord in 2003, but he and his wife left us with a beautiful legacy in the two books they have given to the world, and we are proud to share the daily Bible readings from Heirs Together of Life here with you.