"The Only Gift"

    What do you give to one who has everything, namely, to God?

    "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof, the earth and they that dwell therein" (Psalm 24:1).

    By definition, we can give no thing to our Lord because it all belongs to Him already.  Nor can we literally give ourselves, for the same reason.  However, born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ do possess the capacity to bring to God that which does not exist with Him or in Him until we confer our gift.

    "The Lord taketh pleasure in His people… The prayer of the upright is His delight" (Psalm 149:4; Proverbs 15:8).

    When we respond to the love of God in loving faith, faithfulness, obedience, and the acknowledgement of who He is, we foster a pleasure and delight in the heart of our Heavenly Father that would not exist apart from our devotion.  In this sense, we "give" something to Him that He did not before possess.  All other forms of bestowal upon God actually involve recognition of that which is already His.  Such giving is more about us than about Him as we open our hearts to the reality of "the Most High God, possessor of Heaven and earth" (Genesis 14:19).  Pleasing God by trusting and humble response to His overtures of loving grace, conversely, is about Him.

   I believe this to be perhaps the most sanctifying consideration believers can contemplate.  It turns us inside out, as it were.  Rather than focus upon ourselves and our own benefit, the indwelling love of Christ makes possible our devotion to a real benefit we can literally bestow upon our Heavenly Father.  We remain dependent on Him, looking to Him for "life and breath and all things" (Acts 17:25).  Moreover, we continue to view God in terms of perfect self sufficiency.  We fulfill no need in God by loving Him.  He has no need (Acts 17:25).  Nevertheless, we do bestow pleasure and joy upon our Lord's heart by loving Him in response to His love for us.  In this wondrous sense, we may give to our Father that which He did not have until we opened our hearts in devotion, affection, and commitment.  No Blood-washed and Spirit-indwelt believer can long ponder such wondrous opportunity without contemplating how he or she may next prepare and give the gift, the only gift we may give to the One so worthy of all the pleasure and joy we can bestow.

"We beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more."

(I Thessalonians 4:1)

Weekly Memory Verse

   Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the people.'

(I Chronicles 16:8)