“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?”

We’ve spent two days talking about persistent prayer and how God works in us while we wait. Today I want to show you why God sometimes says no to what we desperately want. And the reason might surprise you.

Jesus uses two simple illustrations that every parent understands. He asks, “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?”

The answer is obvious. No decent parent would do that. We give our kids what’s beneficial, not what’s harmful. But here’s what I need you to know. Your heavenly Father operates the same way, just infinitely better.

Think about this scenario. What if your three year old asks for candy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? What if they cry and scream and accuse you of not loving them when you say no? Here’s the truth. A good parent refuses, not because they lack love, but because they have it.

Your child sees sugar. You see diabetes. Your child sees immediate pleasure. You see long term consequences. Your child operates from limited perspective. You operate from experience and wisdom.

That’s the difference between your perspective and God’s. Isaiah 55:8 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” The gap isn’t slight. It’s the distance between heaven and earth.

Now watch how Jesus drives the point home with these two metaphors. Bread versus stone. One represents what’s beneficial, the other represents burdens. Can I just say something? How many times have you begged God for what you thought was bread, only to discover later it would have been a stone?

That relationship you were desperate for that would have destroyed you. That job that looked perfect but would have consumed your family. That opportunity that seemed golden but would have shipwrecked your faith.

Just like a farmer who plants corn expects corn, not rocks, we expect God to give us what we ask for. But what if what we’re asking for looks like seed but is actually stone? It won’t produce life no matter how much we water it or how long we wait. God knows the difference, even when we don’t.

Then Jesus moves to the second metaphor. Fish versus serpent. Fish brings life and health. Serpents bring harm and death. We’re experts at mistaking serpents for fish. We see the shiny scales and miss the fangs. We focus on what looks good rather than what actually is good.

Hebrews 12:10 puts it this way. Earthly fathers disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. Your earthly father disciplined imperfectly, doing what seemed best to him. But your heavenly Father disciplines perfectly, doing what actually is best for you.

So here’s the question. How many prayers has God refused because He saw the fangs you couldn’t see? How many times did He withhold the serpent you called a fish? We mistake glitter for gold and call God stingy when He won’t hand us the fool’s treasure.

But the incredible thing about your Father is this. He doesn’t just refuse the bad. He provides the good. And tomorrow we’re going to discover just how much better His judgment is than ours.

1. Can you think of a time when God said no to something you desperately wanted, and you later realized it would have been harmful?

2. What are you currently asking God for that might look like bread but could actually be a stone in disguise?

Before you pray today, ask God to show you if what you’re requesting is truly good or just looks good. Be willing to let Him redefine what you think you need.