8.6.2026 - Jody Duncan

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6

Matthew 7:11

God gives us his goodness.

We read today Matthew 7:11. Read the passage now or at the end of this devotion. What do these words from the gospel teach us about God’s gifts to us?

God gives us his goodness, yes, but he gives us so many other gifts, as well!

This verse notes the gifts parents give to their children. Have you ever stopped to think about the gifts your parents gave you? Unless we were horrifically abused or neglected, our parents fed us, put a roof over our heads, took us to the doctor when we needed medical attention, and got us to school on time.

For most of us, however, having those basic needs met was just the beginning of the gifts bestowed on us by our parents. Mine instilled a love of reading, which made all the difference in my life. They gifted me with a sense of humor and a love of learning. They gave me the gift of frequent road trips, which opened my eyes to the beauty of the country, its history and the different ways of living within it.

In some parts of the South, for example, I learned people don’t go to the store to buy groceries, they go to ‘make groceries.’ During a visit to Iowa, I was able to witness the Amish way of life up close. On another trip, we followed the migration of Pueblo Native Americans throughout Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. These trips were gifts from my parents to their children. 

Just as our parents do, God provides our basic needs but also showers us with many gifts beyond those basics. He offers talent to some, and extraordinary talent to a few.

Talent, in general, fascinates me, but especially talent in very young children. Child prodigies seem to be the recipients of supernatural gifts. Mozart, of course, famously composed complex pieces of music from the age of five. Picasso surpassed his art masters by the age of thirteen. Current-day artist Akiane Kramarik began painting highly realistic portraits at the age of four.

Those people are outliers, of course, but any talent, regardless of its level or genre, is evidence of a God-given gift. There are people within our congregation and on the church council who have a gift with numbers, for example. Some people have a gift for evangelizing and bringing people to Christ. Others have a gift for teaching. Some have the gift of wit. Some are gifted cooks, or gifted storytellers, or gifted caregivers. All are gifts from God, gifts for which we should be grateful every day of our lives.

Some God-given gifts are bestowed on us without our participation. But in this verse from Matthew, Jesus tells us that the Father will give us good things IF WE ASK HIM. That’s an important caveat. We must ask.

In the past, I found it difficult to ask God for this or that. Petitionary prayer was awkward for me because I was so afraid of treating God like a personal Santa Claus. But I now realize that asking God for what we need is an act of true faith. By asking, we are saying: ‘I believe in you, God. I believe you are listening to my prayers, and I believe you will answer them. The answer may not be the one I’m looking for, but I know you will answer.’

Let us ask God for what we need today, even as we thank him for all his many gifts.