" I am in the process of understanding the immense reward of God. Simply God. Apart from all He can do or give."
Kelly Minter
No gift that God has given me is so good that if it were taken away, I wouldn't make it. As long as I still have the Giver I'm going to be okay. The Giver Himself is all-together sufficient and satisfying. I don't NEED His gifts. I need HIM. His gifts are graces. Little mercies. A drop compared to the ocean. His gifts are the moon but He is the Sun. Just as the moon reflects the glory and light of the sun so do gifts reflect the glory and light of the Giver.
If you, like me, live in fear of certain gifts being "taken away" (I put the phrase in quotes for a reason) we should think through our answers to these questions: Where does our greatest affection lie? Our greatest joy? Our greatest contentment? Does it lie in the Giver or in His gifts?
One of my greatest (and most irrational) fears is Kaleb dying. If he dies I feel like I would die. How would I continue? How would I keep going? And those feelings are legitimate. I think it goes without saying that it's not a bad thing that I don't want my husband to die. There is a point though, where it crosses over into idolatry. (Idolatry=equating the gifts to the esteem of the Giver or placing the gifts above the Giver) This is when it becomes: "God, if my husband dies, I don't believe You will take care of me. I won't make it. You won't sustain me enough or satisfy me enough and I...I just don't believe that if he were taken away, You would be enough for me." That's really what we are saying, isn't it?
"I won't make it without " translates into:
God, You alone are not enough for me.
The Giver is always greater than His gifts.
If you, like me, live in fear of certain gifts being "taken away" (I put the phrase in quotes for a reason) we should think through our answers to these questions: Where does our greatest affection lie? Our greatest joy? Our greatest contentment? Does it lie in the Giver or in His gifts?
Would we even want God without all of His gifts?
One of my greatest (and most irrational) fears is Kaleb dying. If he dies I feel like I would die. How would I continue? How would I keep going? And those feelings are legitimate. I think it goes without saying that it's not a bad thing that I don't want my husband to die. There is a point though, where it crosses over into idolatry. (Idolatry=equating the gifts to the esteem of the Giver or placing the gifts above the Giver) This is when it becomes: "God, if my husband dies, I don't believe You will take care of me. I won't make it. You won't sustain me enough or satisfy me enough and I...I just don't believe that if he were taken away, You would be enough for me." That's really what we are saying, isn't it?
"If I do not have then God, You aren't enough for me. So I am going to cling to with tight fists and not let it go because without I won't make it."
"I won't make it without " translates into:
God, You alone are not enough for me.
The crazy thing is this: the way my gift (my husband) loves me is MINUSCULE compared to the way God loves me. MINUSCULE. There is NO comparison. Kaleb's love for me is a drop while God's love for me is greater than the ocean. GOD IS GREATER THAN HIS GIFTS. As much as I love my husband he is still (and always will be) the lesser gift. Furthermore, I can love Kaleb so much better when I live acknowledging him as the lesser gift. It is too much pressure on a person to put them in place of the Giver. Kaleb could never live up to those standards or expectations.
We don't need to live in fear of the gifts God has given us being "taken away" because His gifts aren't sustaining, sufficient, or even eternal. They are good, yes. We love them more than words can say, yes. They are some of the most important things/people in our lives, yes. But only God in Himself is truly sustaining, sufficient, and eternal. We were created to need Him. And we do.
We don't need to live in fear of the gifts God has given us being "taken away" because His gifts aren't sustaining, sufficient, or even eternal. They are good, yes. We love them more than words can say, yes. They are some of the most important things/people in our lives, yes. But only God in Himself is truly sustaining, sufficient, and eternal. We were created to need Him. And we do.
When God gave Adam a helper, He was still greater.
When God gave Abraham a son, He was still greater.
When God gave Jacob his beloved, Rachel, He was still greater.
When God gave Israel the promised land, He was still greater.
When God gave Hannah Samuel, He was still greater.
When God gave David the throne, He was still greater.
When God gave Solomon tremendous wisdom, He was still greater.
When God gave physical safety to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, He was still greater.
When God turned water into wine, He was still greater.
When God healed the sick and the lame, He was still greater.
When God multiplied fish and bread, He was still greater.
When God raised Lazarus from the dead, He was still greater.
But when God gave us Himself, He gave us the GREATEST.
Ultimately, God gave us a greater gift than any gift He had given us before. The greatest gift of all: Himself. As a baby in a manger, a boy in a temple, and a man on a Cross. Sacrificing for His kingdom and for our hearts....God gave us Himself.
The irony, the beauty, the grace in all of this is: Out of all of the gifts the Giver gives, HE is the greatest one of all. The Giver is the ULTIMATE gift. Do we really, deep down in our hearts, believe this truth?
When God gave Abraham a son, He was still greater.
When God gave Jacob his beloved, Rachel, He was still greater.
When God gave Israel the promised land, He was still greater.
When God gave Hannah Samuel, He was still greater.
When God gave David the throne, He was still greater.
When God gave Solomon tremendous wisdom, He was still greater.
When God gave physical safety to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, He was still greater.
When God turned water into wine, He was still greater.
When God healed the sick and the lame, He was still greater.
When God multiplied fish and bread, He was still greater.
When God raised Lazarus from the dead, He was still greater.
But when God gave us Himself, He gave us the GREATEST.
Ultimately, God gave us a greater gift than any gift He had given us before. The greatest gift of all: Himself. As a baby in a manger, a boy in a temple, and a man on a Cross. Sacrificing for His kingdom and for our hearts....God gave us Himself.
The Giver gave Himself to us as a gift.
Mind-blowing. We are so undeserving.
Mind-blowing. We are so undeserving.
The irony, the beauty, the grace in all of this is: Out of all of the gifts the Giver gives, HE is the greatest one of all. The Giver is the ULTIMATE gift. Do we really, deep down in our hearts, believe this truth?
For the Jesus-follower, our peace is this: Everything will be made good in the end.
Why?
Because in the end, no matter what gifts we have or don't have, we will ALWAYS have God. Our Father. Our Savior. Our Redeemer. Our Friend. Our ever present help in time of trouble. Our Refuge. Our Strength. Our greatest gift.
Our greatest gift is the Giver of all good gifts and He will never leave us or forsake us.
Every gift lost, every pain, every tear, every trial...ALL will be made good in the end because God is there.
Because in the end, no matter what gifts we have or don't have, we will ALWAYS have God. Our Father. Our Savior. Our Redeemer. Our Friend. Our ever present help in time of trouble. Our Refuge. Our Strength. Our greatest gift.
Our greatest gift is the Giver of all good gifts and He will never leave us or forsake us.
Every gift lost, every pain, every tear, every trial...ALL will be made good in the end because God is there.
He was, He is, and He will be.
As you know we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. James 5:11
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