The Unimagined Promises of God

My daughters LOVE to sit in my lap when they play. They are just over 1 year old but when given an opportunity, they would rather look at a book than to play with toys.

This gives me so much joy. It's hard to describe why... but their curiosity is so attractive, and they receive much happiness from looking at pictures. My spirit rejoices within me because I know this is the start of a love affair between my daughters and the word of God.

As a result, I have promised to them in my own heart to give them all the books they wish to consume, and that they should never be without a word to feed their spirits. It's a promise from me to them that they have no concept of. It's unimagined by them.

How many promises has our Heavenly Father made us because He takes joy in what (or whom) we are pursuing?

John 16:22-24(22) And therefore you now have sorrow. But I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.(23) And in that day you shall ask Me nothing. Truly, truly, I say to you, Whatever you shall ask the Father in My name, He will give you.(24) Before now you have asked nothing in My name; ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.

So Jesus says that the more we sit in the lap of the Father, and the more we read His face, it will be so that we ask those things that we know He delights to give us - just as my own daughters are learning to do.

This scripture says that God gives us the answers to our prayers in order to make our joy 'full'. When we ask Him to give us things we already possess... we rob ourselves of the joy of receiving. Instead, we replace this miraculous, joyful experience with the boring task of grocery-list prayer... and perceive we've received nothing. That's a different blog... or a past one... or something...

I want my girls to be full of joy when they are in my presence. I wish to give them all they long for... yet I don't concentrate too much on providing more of what they are already holding in their hands. Nor are they asking.