Tag: Gifts God Gives

Jesus, Yourself

Beyond Gifts to Benefits

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This post is sort of a bonus content to go along with my prior writings about Gifts God Gives.

Just to recap here are links to each of my God’s gifts related posts:

The two biggest things God showed me as I did the study of His gifts were

  1. God is a giver – it is His very nature to give.
  2. We have a part to play in being willing to receive. My hesitancy to receive God’s gifts is not a good thing. My trying to earn something He desires to give is not a good thing.

As I’ve reflected on this gifts series, God reminded me of a Psalm that I used to have the first 6 verses memorized in, which I’ve personalized below.

Bless the Lord, my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, my soul, and do not forget any of His benefits. Who pardons all my guilt, who heals all my diseases; who redeems my life from the pit, who crowns me with favor and compassion; who satisfies my years with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle. The Lord performs righteous deeds and judgments for all who are oppressed. Psalm 103:1-6 personalized

If you’ve worked for an employer who provides benefits, I imagine there are some benefits that you have that you may not become aware of them until you have need of them. For example, I think my employer provided short term disability, but thankfully I have not had need of that benefit, so I really don’t even know how it works and what it provides. This scripture tells us that God does not want us to treat his benefits in that way. “Do not forget any of His benefits.”

Is there a benefit listed here that you are not experiencing in your life. Do you have unresolved guilt? Is there dis-ease at work in your body? Do you feel defeated? Are you experiencing God’s goodness? Are your years filled with good things? How about your youth, is it being renewed? I think much like the gifts that we explored previously, these benefits are things that God provides, but sometimes we have to contend for them.

What I mean by contend is to fight the good fight of faith. It starts with realizing these benefits are available to us, and then sometimes there are steps to receiving them. Those steps can include forgiveness of others, repentance by us if we know we are violating God’s ways, asking God in faith – trusting His Word as true. For me, a key in my contending in this area has been consciously choosing to plant and dwell on the truth of this scripture. Very practically I do this by:

  • Writing out these scriptures where I can see them often.
  • Meditating on these scriptures – this simply means that I go over and over these scriptures in my mind on a regular basis. Every time I am telling myself truths, I am not investing in a lie.
  • Incorporate this scripture in my wake up routine. When I first wake up, I often have a scripture passage that is my focus for a time. It starts my day in a Godly way.

Do you have other suggestions for ways to contend for the benefits God wants us to have?

Jesus, Yourself

Gifts God Gives – Spiritual Gifts

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“For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—”  Romans 1:11

Perhaps spiritual gifts are something you instinctively knew was something God gives. Perhaps it is something you would understand as not being earned. Or is it? Have you ever looked at other Christians who seem to be more victorious than you and thought God gave them better gifts than you? This post will hope to point out some of the spiritual gifts and perhaps also point out some of the ways that we can engage with them.

“Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.”  1 Timothy 4:14

This verse stands out to me as something very relatable. Have you ever given a gift that you just know the person has not made use of? I certainly have. This is basically what God is trying to get us not to do – don’t neglect the gift that is in you. Once you’ve received the gift from God, he wants you to make use of it.

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:”  1 Corinthians 12:1

“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.”  1 Corinthians 12:4 

“to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,”  1 Corinthians 12:9

“Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.”  1 Corinthians 14:1

“Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.”  1 Corinthians 14:12

The above verses let us know that there are varying spiritual gifts, so we don’t have to compare ourselves with others. The final two verses also put it all in context, we want greater gifts in order to express God’s love.

May I encourage us all to receive our spiritual gifts and then to steward them well so that church will be built up.

Jesus, Yourself

Gifts God Gives – Salvation

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In this post I’m going to write about the most important gift you can receive from God! That gift is salvation. I am going to include several scriptures, because it is important to me that you know this is what God says in the Bible, not just a concept I came up with. If after you read this, you have any questions please feel free to comment.

Gift of Salvation – 

“But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.  And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.  For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.”  Romans 5:15-18

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 6:23

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,”  Ephesians 2:8

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”  Ephesians 4:7

Like I have mentioned in my previous posts, just because God has a gift available for us does not mean we automatically receive it and the benefits of it. A gift requires a receiver. So if you’d like to receive the gift of salvation in can be as simple as praying something like …

God, I know that I have done things against your will and don’t deserve salvation. But I see in these verses that Jesus paid the price to give me salvation. So I ask you to forgive my sins, I choose to make Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior, I believe that he died for my sins and that you rose him from the grave. So I receive the gift of salvation that I may have eternal life.

if you prayed that prayer and have any questions, please reach out. In the meantime, I highly encourage you to find a local church and speak with someone about this prayer. Begin reading the Bible and continue praying to God as he cares for you.

Jesus, Yourself

More Gifts God Gifts

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In this post I discussed where good gifts come from. It is so important to understand the source of things. Think about the last time you wanted something, who did you go to? Was it your parents, your spouse, your boss? It certainly isn’t wrong to ask people for things that we want or need, but when I realized that every good and perfect gift comes from God, it has changed how I view where to go first.

In this post I started to list out some of the gifts God specifically speaks of in the Bible. I want to continue that listing, again based on scripture. I pray that this will inspire you to receive more of what God desires to give.

Things God gives – riches and wealth, along with the power to receive blessing from it

“As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.” Ecclesiastes 5:19

I think we all know people who have money, who are just not able to enjoy it. I’ve recently, based on this scripture, begun to ask God to help me to rejoice in my labors.

Things God gives – living water

“Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”” John 4:10

I just have to tell you this scripture, is so packed for me. The opening phrase that Jesus said, “If you knew …” has been so profound for me. How many times do we miss gifts God has for us, simply because it is not packaged the way we expected it to be.

Things God gives – grace

“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;”  Romans 12:6

“of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.”  Ephesians 3:7

The above scriptures help me to see that even the gifts that we receive come via grace, so this helps me to allow space for other people’s journeys.

“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”    2 Timothy 1:6

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”  1 Peter 4:10

The above two scriptures provoke me to press on and realize that the gift of grace is an empowering gift that helps me to do the things God calls me to.

“But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.””  James 4:6

The above verse so me that there are ways that we can block the gifts God wants to give. Humility opens up the gift of grace from God.

Things God gives – Rest

““Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  Matthew 11:28

This has been transformative for me. I think I used to see the above verse as ‘go to Jesus and he will make things better.’ But now I see that I can go to God when I am worn out and I can receive a gift of rest.

Things God gives – keys to the kingdom / authority

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.””  Matthew 16:19

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” Matthew 28:18

““So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”  Luke 11:9

Wow are the above verses both empowering and challenging. May we remember that the authority is God’s and we get to execute it through His gifting.

“Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom.”  Luke 12:32

This verse is absolutely a new favorite for me. I literally have made it a confession during my daily walks recently. How good does it feel to know that God has chosen to give you the kingdom?

I will continue with more gifts God speaks of in scripture, but for now I want to encourage you to review these things and pray that God would help you to receive the gifts He desires to give. Please reach out if you need prayer, I am happy to pray for you.

Jesus

Where Do Good Gifts Come From?

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Have you ever thought about where good gifts come from? Perhaps at Christmas time, or your birthday? Perhaps you have a loved one who is celebrating a milestone and really like to find just the “thing” that will communicate your sentiments for this person.

Is Amazon the right place to start your search, or should you go to a local small business where the service and personal touch will be higher?

Actually you might be surprised, but scripture tells us the answer to this question.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:17

God is the giver of good gifts.

I am blessed to be a wife and a mother. These two roles have helped me to see what it is to give gifts out of love. God knows that even in our fallen state, we, parents, often have a desire to give good gifts.

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:11

As I reflect on my walk with the Lord, I see that far too often I have tried to earn things, rather than accepting them as gifts. Over the coming weeks, I’d like to look further at God as the giver of good gifts. I’d like to do this for a few reasons.

  1. God has written much about His desire to give good gifts and I think sometimes in our ignorance we fail to ask for, or receive the gifts He is offering.
  2. I have come to see that many of the “things” he desires to give us, we have mistakenly tried to earn.
  3. I believe as we discover more of what He wants to give us as a gift, we will discover both more about Him and more about ourselves.

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15

“Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”” Ephesians 4:8

I pray that these writings will lead us to a greater experience of what God has for us.