August 15, 2026
Printer Ink
Matthew 7:11 – “How much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
The printer flashed its warning before the ink ever actually ran dry, a small icon on the screen, a message on the display panel, sometimes even a notification pushed straight to a phone. Low on cyan. Replace magenta soon. The machine knew exactly what it needed before it failed to deliver, and it made sure to say so clearly enough that nobody could miss it. Once that message showed up, most people did not shrug it off. A new cartridge got ordered, sometimes that same day, because an empty printer is just an expensive piece of plastic taking up space on a desk. Nobody wants a tool sitting there unable to do the one job it was built for.
That instinct makes sense. A printer with what it needs can produce documents, photos, reports, whatever it was purchased to do. A printer without ink is worthless no matter how advanced its other features are. People understand that connection well enough to act on a warning light without hesitation.
Jesus made an argument from that same kind of logic, though His illustration involved a father and a hungry child instead of a printer and a cartridge. He said that even flawed, sinful people know how to give good gifts to their children, so how much more would a perfect Heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him. If people will keep a printer supplied so it can fulfill a purpose that barely matters in the scope of a life, God is far more committed to supplying His children with what they need to fulfill a purpose that matters eternally.
Nobody ignores a low ink warning and expects to keep printing anyway. God is even less likely to leave His own children empty when they come to Him asking for what their purpose requires.
Today’s Prayer: Lord, thank You for being a generous Father who supplies exactly what I need to fulfill the purpose You’ve given me. Amen.
Reflection Question: What do you currently need from God to fulfill the purpose He has for you?