Daily Bread – February 15, 2022 (The Third Day – Genesis 1:9-13) Luke 11:8 – I tell you, even though he would not get up to give because he was a friend, but because of his shameless insistence, he wakes up to give him whatever he needs. Part 2 ~ Absolute Expectation For All Our Needs After Jesus had been praying, His disciples came to Him asking Him to teach them to pray (verse 1). Part of our Lord’s response to them was the example He gives of a man who by all rights should be left alone because it was late, and he was asleep in bed. However, because of a bold and almost stupid insistence on the part of his neighbor, he gives his neighbor whatever he wants. The one asking for help seems to be totally insensitive to what is proper. In fact, his own need becomes greater to him than the need of anyone else; and out of this desperation, he abandons all the proper protocol and places a demand on his neighbor. His neighbor does not rise and give him what he needs out of a sense of friendship, but because he will not go away, otherwise. The man in bed feels that the one outside is impudent and clueless concerning his proper place, and to shut him up, he has to get out of bed and get him what he wants. The story unfolds something like this: We see one man in bed, and another consumed by his own need. Forgetting everything that is proper, the one man starts banging on the door demanding the other get out of bed and meet his need. The neighbor awaking out of sleep attempts to get rid of the insensitive guy thinking, “Of all the nerve!” But because the guy is so clueless, he sighs, throws back the covers, and gets up. He comes to the door after fumbling with the lamp, and totally bewildered to see his neighbor standing there with a “Hurry up!” look on his face. Why would Jesus describe such a scene to us? What kind of disposition was He attempting to instill within those who desired to pray the kind of prayers that would be answered? Knowing it is God’s good pleasure to give us the Kingdom, why should there be within our disposition such a seeming insolence? God wants us to pray to Him – in fact, He requires it of us. Yet, there must be more than just meeting the requirements. There must be something of an absolute expectation and insistence on our part, no matter how unreasonable the request may be. God wants us to move past all of the protocol, and come boldly and confidently to the heart of His affections regardless of who we are and what we think is proper. God is ready to answer us and give us whatever we need (Philippians 4:19). Blessings, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
Daily Bread 2/15/2022
