A young man who’d traveled to see the world, one day managed to reach his father on a faint telephone line and told him about all the challenges he’s having in the foreign country. He’s been sick, hungry, thirsty, broke, homeless and almost died a number of times. The anxious father on the other end of the line asked the son, “Son, did you take the parcel I gave you?” “Yes, father”. “Then either you’ve never opened it, or you’ve opened it but not bothered to look critically at what is in there. My dear son, you need nothing. You have everything. Look inside your parcel again”.

What the poor son didn’t know or hadn’t, for some weird reason noticed, was that inside the parcel the father gave him, was everything he needed to have a comfortable adventure. It contained “Gold Debit Cards, Traveler’s Cheques, Maps, letters to his father’s rich friends in every city on his itinerary, maps; even movie tickets and many other useful things”. 

Didn’t the father care? Sure, he did. All his poor son has to do, his open his parcel and look at what is in it.

What are you praying for, that you already have?

Often, we go through life just like that son. We beg for things we already own. We cry, we starve, we moan and say “Father, God, Jesus, Lord, don’t you care?” And often in that situation, He’s helpless to help us, except to say “Have you looked at your parcel?” Opening the Bible is not enough. Speaking in tongues occasionally is not enough. 

The Bible and the baptism of the Holy Spirit are proof enough that the Father cares… and He has ALREADY given us everything we need for a good and godly life.  

It's possible to die from thirst whilst standing in a river... but what a fool we'll be to let that happen to us.

MARK 4:38