what we want vs what we need

Today we read from Matthew 9:1-17 in the One Year Bible. In this passage, we see a good example of God giving us what we need rather than what we ask for.

There is a crippled man who has some good friends. They bring him to Jesus to be healed. That's good. They have faith in Jesus to heal them. But what Jesus does is so much more. First, without their even asking Him, He forgives their sins. He does this because A) their sins need forgiven far more than his body needs healed. His body will get old and eventually die even after being healed. And B) to teach everyone present an important lesson. C) also to teach US an important lesson as we read about this story.

God always gives us more than we ask for. And He gives it to us, usually, without our even asking for it. When we come to Him with the needs that we KNOW we have, He fills those needs - and then goes on to fill all of the needs that we don't even realize we have.

God, thanks for taking care of us, meeting even the needs we'll never understand.