我喜欢购买东西给儿女，无论是游戏、绒毛动物玩具、或乐高组合玩具，我最爱看到他们满脸的欢乐。不过，我不会购买他们想要的每一件东西的，有时我们的预算中没有这笔款项，有时我知道他们想要的对他们没有益处，也有时他们根本没有这个需要。
马太福音7章这段经文，有时令我感到困惑，耶稣告诉跟从祂的人，无论求什么，他们都会得到。然而，我们当中很多人都曾经向神求取某些东西、但却仍没有得到。耶稣在这里的教训是什么意思呢？
如果我们视神为我们的私人黄大仙，我们便错了。这并不表示，只因为我们向神祈求，神便要赐我们一部新车、一次豪华假期、加薪、或考试成绩A等。
耶稣在这里的教导，是关于神的性情和我们的关系的。神爱我们，多过地上的父亲对儿女的爱，神对我们的爱的其中一部份，是我们可以与祂交通、向祂祈求和寻求祂；在我们生活的每一方面，神都愿意我们得到最好的，祂愿意我们得到能祝福和引领我们紧紧跟从祂的东西。当我们更深认识神和知道祂期望我们得到的丰盛生命时，我们便会祈求那些合乎神在我们身上旨意的东西了；有时我们或许会错看了那些东西，但无论如何，神总在那里，衪爱我们和供应我们的需要。神必定愿意我们得到最好的，有时我们可能会有疑惑，但这却是无可否认的真理。
父啊，虽然我们不是时常都知道什么东西对我们最好，但祢总会把这些最好的东西赐给我们，我们感谢祢。阿们。
马太福音 7:7-11
7 “你们祈求，就给你们；寻找，就寻见；叩门，就给你们开门。
8 因为凡祈求的，就得着；寻找的，就寻见；叩门的，就给他开门。
9 你们中间谁有儿子求饼，反给他石头呢？
10 求鱼，反给他蛇呢？
11 你们虽然不好，尚且知道拿好东西给儿女，何况你们在天上的父，岂不更把好东西给求他的人吗？
“Ask and it will be given to you. . . .” — Matthew 7:7
I love buying things for my kids. Whether it’s a game, a stuffed animal, or a Lego set, I love seeing the look of joy on their faces. But I don’t buy them everything they want. Sometimes we just don’t have the money in our budget. Other times I know that what they want isn’t good for them. And still other times it just isn’t necessary.
Sometimes this passage in Matthew 7 baffles me. Jesus is telling his followers that whatever they ask for, they will receive. But many of us have asked God for certain things, and we have not received them. What does Jesus mean in this teaching?
Well, we’re mistaken if we think of God as being our own personal genie. It’s not as if God should give us a new car, a grand vacation, a raise at work, or an A on a test simply because we ask for it.
Jesus is teaching about God’s character in relation to us. God loves us more than an earthly father loves his children. And as part of that, God wants us to be in communication with him, asking and seeking. In all of our living, God wants what is best for us. He wants what will bless us and lead us to follow him more closely. As we learn more about God and the full life he wants for us, we ask for things that we know are in line with his will for us. Sometimes we may be mistaken about those things, but no matter what happens, God is there, loving us and providing what we need. God always wants what is best for us. We may question that sometimes, but it’s the truth.
Father, thank you for supplying what is best for us, though we don’t always know what that is. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
