Orange Moon Tuesday, October 4, 2022 "Gifts and the Giver"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

    

               "Gifts and the Giver"

     The longer we know the Lord Jesus Christ and walk with God through Him, the more we appreciate the gifts and blessings He gives.  "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17).

   However, the longer we know our Lord, the more we realize His gifts do not fulfill our hearts.  He rather bestows them to direct us to Himself as the Life of our lives, and the only contentment possible for those He made to be His spiritual dwelling place.

    "He is thy life… Christ is our life… Thou art my portion" (Deuteromy 30:20; Colossians 3:4; Psalm 119:57).

   We must not "worship and serve the creature more than the Creator" (Romans 1:25).  While gratefully enjoying His gifts, we do well to frequently affirm to our Father, "You bestow wonder upon wonder, Father, and it all brings such blessedness.  However, You are the wonder, and these gifts of Your hand serve to direct me to the gracious goodness of Your heart.  Lead me to remember by leading me to rejoice in You ever and always as the only true hope of my heart."

    "O Lord, I said, Thou art my God" (Psalm 31:14).

   The Apostle John closed his first epistle with the admonition, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols" (I John 5:21).  John well knew that we all remain prone to viewing God's gifts as playthings to enjoy more than as encouragements to know Him as the only possible contentment of our hearts.  Certainly, we enjoy "richly" the gifts of God, as Scripture promises (I Timothy 6:17).  We do so, however, with the determination that enjoyment in gifts will lead us to rejoice in the Giver Himself.  He will not be satisfied with anything less.  Nor should we.

"Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.  Whom have I in heaven but Thee?   And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever."

(Psalm 73:24-26)

Weekly Memory Verse    

    Furthermore then 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)

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