Stones and Loaves
How many times have you prayed and not gotten what you asked for?
In Matthew 7, Jesus says, “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”
On the flip side, how often do we ask for stones and are given bread?
Biblically, stones were used to punish. In John chapter 8, we see a crowd gathered with stones in hand. They were ready to stone a woman who was found in sin. Stones cause pain. We want stones when we feel a spirit of judgement. We want stones when we want to retaliate, to seek revenge, to hurt.
In John, we see Jesus give them something else. When they wanted stones, He gave them bread. Just two chapters earlier, Jesus said, “ The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Sir, they said, “give us that bread every day. Jesus replied, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
The words, wisdom, and guidance of Jesus are the bread of life. When we want to point fingers and assign blame, Jesus wants to draw us in to look at ourselves. To see where we need to grow and how we need to be more like Him. To see how loved we are so that we can’t help but love others. His words don’t cause pain, they bring life and life more abundant (John 10:10). Jesus brings bread, not stones.
How many times have you prayed and not gotten what you asked for?
Rather than questioning God, it is time to question our requests. Do your prayers line up with what you think you want and deserve in the natural, or what God knows you need in the spiritual? Are you praying according to His will or asking according to your own? How many prayers has God answered when we thought He didn’t because we look for what we want, not where God has provided for our need? Are you praying for stones or bread?
“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him Matthew 7:9-11
They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” John 8:7
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged Matthew 7:1
“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye[a] when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend,[b] ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. Matthew 7:3-5
This is what the Lord says to Jerusalem:
“I will be your lawyer to plead your case,
and I will avenge you Jeremiah 51:36
The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”
35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:33-35
If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters,[a] Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed 1 Timothy 4:6
When I discovered your words, I devoured them.
They are my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear your name,
O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies Jeremiah 15:16
And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him 1 John 5:14