Best Dog for Nathan

Read: Matthew 7:9-11

Nathan typed an email to his dad, who was away on sea duty with the Navy. “The Carlsons next door have a litter of puppies,” he wrote. “Can I please have one? Mom says it’s okay with her if it’s okay with you. I wanted to have a dog just like Rex, Uncle Brad’s dog, but this one is free.” Nathan clicked send. He could hardly wait for his dad’s answer.

When Nathan got home from school the next day, Mom met him at the door. “I just talked to Dad on the phone,” she told him. “He’ll be home next week.”

Nathan grinned. “That’s great! Did he say I could have a puppy?”

Mom shook her head, and Nathan’s grin disappeared. “Dad doesn’t want you to get one right now,” she said. “I know it’s hard for you to understand, but please trust your dad. He loves you and wants what’s best for you.”

“Yeah, right,” Nathan muttered as he went inside.

For a while, Nathan’s disappointment clouded the joy of looking forward to his dad’s return. But when Dad arrived, Nathan threw his arms around him and started asking lots of questions. Then he remembered that Dad hadn’t let him get one of the neighbors’ puppies. “I still don’t see why I couldn’t get that puppy, Dad,” he said with a frown.

Just then a sound came from Dad’s pile of luggage. “What’s that noise?” Nathan asked.

Dad grinned and lifted a wriggling ball of fur out of a plastic carrier. “A puppy!” Nathan exclaimed. Dad placed the puppy in his arms. “He looks just like Rex!” said Nathan.

“The reason I said no to the other puppy was because I knew this was the kind of dog you really wanted,” Dad explained.

Mom smiled. “Like I told you before, you can trust your father to do what’s best for you.”

“We can trust our heavenly Father to do that too,” said Dad, “even when He says no to something we ask Him for. When that happens, we need to remember that He loves us so much He sent His Son to die for us and that everything He gives us is meant to help us grow in our relationship with Jesus. We can always trust Him to do what’s best.”

Nathan grinned and hugged the puppy tight.

–Agnes Livezey

How about you? Does your heavenly Father sometimes say no to the things you ask Him for? You may not understand why He answers your prayer with a “no” or “wait” instead of a “yes,” but remember that He loves you more than any earthly father could. Even when He doesn’t answer your prayers the way you want, you can trust Him to give you good gifts that help you grow in your faith.

Today's Key Verse: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father. James 1:17 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: God gives the best