He Knows What We Need

“I do not have to grasp for what belongs to somebody else because my heavenly Father knows what I need.”

Isn’t it interesting what kids think they need? Whether it’s a new toy or an extra scoop of ice cream, their bargaining tactic is often, “I need it.”

Kids don’t care about character development. Preschoolers aren’t concerned about personal growth. They just want what they want. And that desire can grow until it feels like a need.

Children have a solid grasp on what they want. And a healthy parent has a solid grasp on what they need. The two don’t always agree, and this is where maturity comes to light. What is the response when what they want isn’t what they need?

More importantly, what is ours? We have a Heavenly Father with unlimited resources and all power within His grasp. And yet, some of our requests are answered with a no. Something we want may have been handed to someone else. What we thought was coming our way took off the other direction. Do we still believe that God knows what we need?

To feel disappointment is human. But to accept what God’s hand offers us is a choice. We can turn up our noses at it and continue to pursue what we think we deserve, but in the end it will only reveal how much we didn’t know. We can choose to accept what God knew we needed over what we thought we wanted.

Hopefully along the way, a child learns that their parents delight in giving them what they want when it falls within the boundaries of what is good for them. So if a desire must be left unfulfilled, it was not out of spite. It was in love. A child must learn to rest in that, because their perspective just hasn’t yet matured enough to see it. Trust without sight- that’s faith. And we have a Father who will prove He was worthy of it every time.