4 Gifts God Desires
What do you want for your birthday? Or for Christmas or Valentine's?My grandboy turns 4 in two weeks, and birthday gifts are an important topic. By the age of 4 he actually has opinions. Themes would be Star Wars, pirates, swords. Preferably no clothes, though red pajamas in one of the above themes might be okay.So do you ever wonder what God might like as a gift from you? I think about such things, and I’ve come up with four gifts I believe would please my Father.
1. My heart.
This is the most important one, and if I had only one gift to give, this would be it. He says his greatest desire is that we would love him with our whole heart, mind, soul, strength—with our whole being (Matt 22:37). He desires to be first in our affections, king of our hearts.And when I Iove like that, then I am ready to give him these additional gifts.
2. My will
Actually, this one is pretty hard for me, even still. Growing up my greatest desire was always to have my own way. And throughout my walk with God, we have had many conversations about His way or my way. I sometimes lobby for my good ideas, but He has convinced me that His way is ALWAYS better than my way. And it works best when I surrender willingly.
3. My hands
This is a little funny—I don’t do hands. That is, I don’t make things or draw things or build things. I do words, not hands.Then God reminds me of His conversation with Moses, when Moses said he couldn’t speak well and there was no way he could go tell Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go.God’s response? “What is that in your hand, Moses?” It was his shepherd’s staff. And that is what God used—to bring down plagues on the Egyptians, to part the Red Sea, to provide water for the people.His response to me? Give me your hands—the gifts I have given you—and I will amaze you with how I will use you.
4. My feet
Seriously, He wants my feet? Yes he does. That is, He wants me to be willing to put my feet in motion, to go wherever He asks me to go. That might be to a physical place. Or an opportunity. Someplace scary or uncomfortable. Or a challenging relationship.I never know where God might send me. But I do know this—He has promised to go with me.
So don’t wait till next Christmas. Wrap these gifts up right now and offer them to your Daddy.© 2011 Judy Douglass