Read
“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?”
Matthew 7:9-10
Reflect
Jesus contrasted harmful substitutes with the good gifts a loving Father gives His children.
“What are we having for dinner tonight, Dad?” Tom had just come home from his Saturday Little League practice, and he was already hungry for the evening meal.
“Well, Tom, what do you want?”
“Uh, we haven’t had fish and chips in a long time. How about that?”
His dad smiled. “Absolutely, Tom. Fish and chips it is!”
The next few hours passed quickly, and soon it was time for dinner. Tom sat down at the table, and a large metal plate cover sat in front of him. “I thought we were having fish and chips,” Tom said.
“I know,” his dad answered. “But I did even better!”
Tom lifted the cover—and gasped. On the plate was a snake, coiled tightly around a stone. “I thought you said this was better!”
Clearly, Tom is right. When you’re hungry, a cold, hardened rock and a dangerous snake aren’t even close to being as good as fish and chips. And it’s hard to imagine any loving father doing something so unthinkable. If my dad promised fish and chips, I’m quite sure that’s what I’d have received—and you’re probably no different.
That’s exactly the point Jesus is making. Earthly fathers—who love their children as best they know how—still fall short. Yet even they understand how to give good gifts. How much more, then, does our Heavenly Father, who loves us perfectly and sees far more than we do?
Jesus speaks these words in the middle of His teaching about asking, seeking, and trusting God. When we come to Him with our needs, God doesn’t mock us, mislead us, or substitute harm for good. He gives what is truly good—even when it may not look exactly like what we expected.
Sometimes what we ask for feels like fish and chips to us. But God, knowing our hearts and our future, gives what will truly nourish us.
Today, name one thing you’ve been holding tightly—something you’re unsure God will handle the way you want. Place it deliberately into His hands. If you truly trust Him, you will discover that the Lord never gives stones when His children need bread.
Reflection copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
