Good Gift Giving

Scripture

“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! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”  (Matthew 7:9-12 NIVUK)

Good Gift Giving

In the last two months our family has been giving and receiving gifts celebrating 3 birthdays, a graduation, Mother’s and Father’s Day, a wedding anniversary and a graduation. It’s good for the economy I’m sure but it is even better for us as we think about what would make a good gift for the object of our affections and celebrations.

None of us on the receiving side expected to unwrap a gift and discover poisonous snakes or rocks – everyone in our little celebrating circle opened gifts with anticipation and received them with joy. They were practical, goofy, funny but chosen with the recipient’s best interest and joy in mind – we gave as we liked to be given to.

We all have the occasional moment when we think the Divine Giver may not have the same attitude. We think “When’s the second shoe going to drop?” – “Things are going so well I know disaster is just around the corner”. And yet the last place we should fear is in our relationship with the God who loves us and whose heart says, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

The Father, Son and Spirit scheme together to draw us into love with them and one another in the same manner in which they experience one another. What the Father will do for the Son and vice versa, is what they will do for us. Our vision of God’s goodness may need some expanding.

This is the last of these to annoy you until the Fall but in the meantime you can take advantage of our Prayers for Deck & Dock 2021 with a printable pdf link at the bottom.

A Prayer for Today

God, whose heart is love and generosity, help us to expand our vision and trust of your character. You want for us what we would truly desire, but you take our lifetimes to teach us what we truly need – love for you and those who come across our path. You only do to us what we would want done to us but you patiently teach us to make that “want’ generosity and kindness. Let us live and trust you in this way …. For Jesus’ sake