A moment for reflection:
Gifts by Morag Cameron Colossians 2:6-7 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. A gift is a symbol of appreciation and thanksgiving. Choosing gifts for people can be time consuming as we search for that ‘perfect’ gift which we hope will show our love for the recipient. God is the One who gives us every perfect gift. Not only did He give us Jesus, His only Son, as the greatest Gift in history, but He continues to offer us gifts every day. He is goodness Himself, withholding nothing good from us because He alone is good. Jesus is the greatest Gift given by the only good Giver, but He is not the only gift God has given us. Hope. God promises our hope, when placed in Jesus, will never disappoint us. We have hope in the promises God gives us and hope in our coming salvation. We can praise God for the gift of hope because, in it, we see His faithfulness. Hebrews10:11 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. Faith. Faith serves a purpose and without it we cannot please God. Through faith, the Holy Spirit works in us to make us more like Jesus. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. ____________________ |
Joy. Apart from Jesus, we can never have true, lasting joy. He alone is the source of joy and He gives us joy each day as we walk with Him. Psalms 94:19 "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy." Peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. In Him we have peace in our hearts and minds because He has won every battle. He goes before us and will never leave us. Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ As we cling to the Giver and the gifts He gives us, we can live a life of true gratitude to Him. As we study the incredible gifts we have in Christ, we can worship God and praise Him for who He is and what He has done. He is the only Gift we need, and He is the greatest Gift we have been, and ever will be. Prayer Loving Lord, open our eyes to the many gifts You give us. Help us be aware of these each and every day from the moment we waken until we go to sleep. Simple pleasures we may overlook, the fact we have a warm bed, clothes to wear and food to eat are all gifts from You. Help us to become more aware by studying Your word and being open to our thoughts being transformed by this. Amen |
