Papa

Recently, when on a road trip, we saw a farmer moving irrigation pipes while his two dogs frolicked near him in the field. My husband commented, putting words in the dogs' mouths, "Whatcha doing, dad? Why are you playing with those long shiny things?"

To our dogs, my husband is "dad" or, more accurately, "Papa." Technically, he may be their master, but he is first of all their Papa.

 

Their usual habitat when not training or doing a field trial? That would be the house…and Don's recliner or the sofa.

 

 

 

This is not the case for all field trial dogs, though. Some spend most of their time in kennels. They are usually nice kennels, but they are still kennels, not a house with a sofa. Their owner/trainer may be their master, but he is not their "Papa." That's a big relationship difference.

Relationship makes a huge difference.

 

 

Jesus told His disciples, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:7-11 ESV)

 

Are you a disciple of Jesus? Are you a child of God? If you have received Jesus—taken hold of Him as your own—then you have been given the right and privilege to ask, seek, and knock. Jesus tells us our Father will then give us good things.

 

The Hebrew word for good in the above Scripture is agathos. It means of good constitution or nature, useful, salutary, good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy, excellent, distinguished, upright, or honorable.

 

Matthew Henry commented on this passage in Matthew 7 writing, "Prayer is the appointed means for obtaining what we need." He added that parents are ready to give what their children ask, but unlike parents who can be "foolishly fond," our all-wise God knows our needs and desires and what is "fit" for us. Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible defines it as what is "proper" for us. In essence, God knows what is good for us.

 

We pray for our children, our hearts desiring good things for them. We want what is pleasant and agreeable, for them to be happy. But, we also want them to live excellent, upright, and honorable lives. For those good things to be given to them, we pray, trusting our all-wise God to do what is fit and proper.

 

And when what we see with our eyes does not appear to be "good," we choose to settle our hearts in faith while we continue to pray, wait, and watch for our Father in heaven to give good things.

 

"Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart,

all you who hope in the Lord."

Psalm 31:24