envelop spinner search close plus arrow-right arrow-left facebook twitter

Divine Imperatives November 17 Devotional

by David Joynt on November 17, 2023


LUKE 11:11-12 | 11 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion?

 

God is the best parent in the world. as parents we try to give our children the right gifts in the right amounts at the right time for the right reasons. We sometimes bribe them to create a moment of peace. We occasionally spoil them to win their love and approval. But we try to bless them in ways that help them mature and grow into strong and faithful people. And we always try to protect them from danger. Here Jesus points out that God is an even better parent. He gives us the things we need to prepare for eternity, to be effective in service, and to shed the weight of our sin and our folly.

 

 

Are you a good gift giver?

 

 

Gracious God,

Give me what I need to grow—even if the gift is hard. I want to be more like Jesus and I trust in your wisdom.

Amen.

 

About the Author
David Joynt

Dave Joynt began his service as a pastor at Valley Presbyterian Church in Paradise Valley, Arizona in September 2014. This meant a move away from the Northeast, where he has a long history, growing up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and then serving congregations in Delaware and New Jersey for a total of 23 years.

Dave was nurtured in a great church in Bethlehem where his parents, Anne and Carey, served as elders. He graduated in classics from Lehigh University where his Father taught, and then from Oxford, where he met his wife Julia. Ordained in 1988, he completed a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1993.

He and Julia have a son, Tristan, and a daughter, Madeleine.

More from Pastor Joynts Devotionals

return to Pastor Joynts Devotionals