The Perfect Gift(s)

If you have read my blog with any consistency, you have probably noticed that I like to quote a lot of scripture in my writings. I do this because I believe with all my heart that scripture is the very voice of God and He has an incredible amount of life altering things to say to us through His words. I can honestly say that I love the bible. I mean, love it so much I have read it cover to cover three times (well, almost three... the year isn't over yet) and plan to continue reading it as many more times as I possibly can. You know that feeling when you read your favorite book or watch your favorite movie more than once, you pick up on new and interesting things each time? It's the exact same for me when it comes to my bible. There will be verses, stories, biographies, etc. that I have known or read about since I was a kid, but somehow when I read them again and again, a certain portion of the verse or story will come alive for me in a way it never has before. I think that's actually the best way to describe the bible... alive. For me, it literally breathes. And here is the point in this post where I will just say, if you aren't reading it regularly, the immensity of what you are missing can not be overstated. Oh it looks long and daunting at first, but when you just commit to start somewhere and stick with it, you will receive a blessing so big you'll be kicking yourself for not starting sooner.

So, as I was thinking about a Christmas-themed post, the word "gift" kept coming to mind for obvious reasons. And before I go any further, I of course have to say without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus Himself is truly the only "perfect gift" that has ever been given. God literally put on skin for us and was born in human form of a virgin named Mary. He lived a perfect life on this very earth for 33 years before willingly sacrificing Himself on our behalf. This man, Jesus, who had never sinned once in His whole life, literally became sin and when He died He gave us the opportunity to have ours wiped clean in order to stand before Almighty God one day clean as a whistle. It really doesn't get any better than that. But, I wanted to make a list for you of some favorite scriptures of mine because truly I also think of these as gifts. These words bring me confidence, joy, calm, comfort and peace and I really can't think of the last time I received a material gift that brought me all of those feels at one time. My hope is that you too will begin to make your own list of scripture that, every time you read through it, is like opening a gift to yourself. Remember, just start somewhere and stick with it and you will never regret it.

Abraham's belief and the gift of righteousness...

Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Genesis 15:6

The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

Romans 4:23-24

Simply believing that God sent Jesus to earth to die for us, to be buried and to be raised to life again paving the way for our own eternal life in heaven, equates to God taking my life that was once worthless and transforming it into something so valuable to Him it's literally priceless.

Ruth's second chance and the gift of redemption...

“The man's name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.”

Ruth 2:19-20

Turth be told, the entire book of Ruth is a personal fave, but I can't write it all out here. In this segment though, we are given a foreshadowing of Jesus' redemptive power in our lives. Just as Boaz would rescue both Ruth and Naomi and provide them with a second chance at a good life, Jesus is our Redeemer rescuing us from eternal condemnation and giving us a chance at the BEST life.

Moses, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah and the gift of God fighting our battles...

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Exodus 14:14

You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 20:17

Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria:

He will not enter this city

or shoot an arrow here.

He will not come before it with shield

or build a siege ramp against it.

By the way that he came he will return;

he will not enter this city,

declares the Lord.

2 Kings 19:32-33

Three men, all leaders of Israel, living years apart were all witnesses to God's sovereignty when He literally overcame entire armies of men single-handedly on their behalf. No other hands were lifted in these victories. God fights for us!

A boy possessed, his concerned father and the gift of total honesty before Jesus...

But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.

“If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Mark 9:22-24

Aside from the miraculous healing of this little boy, what I find so comforting is the father's brutal honesty. Full disclosure, I sometimes struggle with doubt. How could I not when the enormity of salvation is just overwhelming? These verses remind me to be honest and take my doubt straight to Jesus. And you know what? He's never yet failed to right my ship.

David and Solomon's wise words and the gift of God directing our steps...

The Lord foils the plans of the nations;

he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,

the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Psalm 33:10-11

In their hearts humans plan their course,

but the Lord establishes their steps.

Proverbs 16:9

These two generally do not pop up in a Google search on verses to help with worry/anxiety. But, for some reason I find them to be so comforting when I'm over-stressed. Regular prayer is of course a time-tested remedy for anxiety reduction, but just the overarching knowledge that God controls ALL the world's plans sets me right at ease.

The writer of Hebrews and the gift of church family...

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:24-25

Just as I have explained my love for God's word, I must also mention my love for being together with God's people. This is an essential ingredient for sanctification. Just as other Christians can and will "spur you on" towards a God-honoring life, YOU are also called to be a spur-er yourself! Someone needs encouragement from the gifts you possess just as you need encouragement from someone else's gifts. 

Jesus comforts His disciples and the gift of a heavenly forever-family...

My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

John 14:2-3

I think about my room sometimes. What will it look like? Who will my neighbors be? I also think about the rooms being prepared for my family and friends who have made the decision to follow Jesus in this lifetime. Like the old song says "When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory."

Peter's letter to believers and the gift of God's sovereignty over time...

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 

2 Peter 3:8

Do you ever, like me, want something to work out so badly that you just have no patience at all for the waiting that is necessary to bring it to fruition? This verse brings comfort to me in times like that. My knowledge of time and space is finite, but there is One who created time and space and He is not unaware of me. He's got me in the palm of His perfectly timed hand.

A woman with a bleeding issue and the gift of incredible faith...

When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

Mark 5:27-29

This woman inspires me. To me, she is the embodiment of faith that moves mountains. She believed in the power of Jesus' restoration so much that she knew in her heart she didn't even have to physically ask Him for it. All she needed to do was reach out her hand and touch his clothing. Not even His physical body, just His cloak and she would be healed. And guess what... she was.

Hezekiah, Matthew, Mark, the writer of Hebrews and the gift of confident prayers...

“Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you.

2 Kings 20:5

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:9-11

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Mark 11:24

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

We do not serve a God who will bash us for daring to come into His presence with confidence. We are to be forever reverent of course, but in our reverence, we can also be assured that God delights in our expectant prayers.

Mordecai, Esther and the gift of insane courage...

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

Esther 4:14

Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I die, I die.”

Esther 4:16

Have you ever thought about the people you can't wait to meet in heaven? Esther is one of those people for me. I draw so much strength and courage from this story every time I read it. But, Mordecai's influence in Esther's life also can't be overlooked. It's a gift when you have a friend or family member who will speak brutal truth into your life when it's warranted. Or maybe you are called to be a Mordecai at times in the lives of your friends and family members. Either way, God's perfect orchestration of the relationship in this story and the massive amounts of courage shown by both parties is what makes this one of my favorites of all time.

The book of Ecclesiastes and the gift of a simple conclusion...

Now all has been heard;

here is the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God and keep his commandments,

for this is the duty of all mankind.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Am I saying the Christian faith is simple? Easy? Uncomplicated? Tidy? Ummmm, no. Not even close. Just read any of my other blog posts and you will understand this to be true. The book of Ecclesiastes is almost like a walk down memory lane where the author recounts everything in his life that he thought would bring him pleasure. And believe me, he tries everything! However, at the end of it all he concludes, very simply, that it was all meaningless. None of it brought lasting joy. None of it brought peace. None of it brought fulfillment. The only thing that he concludes will ever bring those things in his life, or anyone's life, is to fear God and keep His commandments. So, yeah, the Christian walk is full of challenges, but through regular prayer, scripture reading, worship, bible study and fellowship with other believers, we CAN do this thing called life and live it to the absolute fullest.

In conclusion...

As the rain and the snow

come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10-11

The bible is a gift to us that will water our faith causing it to bud and flourish so that our lives will yield the fruits of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. If you do nothing else for yourself this Christmas, give yourself this gift! God's words will never, ever, be wasted. He will use every single one of them for your good, always.

Merry Christmas my friends and very Happy New Year too!