Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional “The Gift” for Wednesday, 12 November 2014 - Scripture: 1 John 5:11-12 This is the testimony in essence: God gave us eternal life; the life is in his Son. So, whoever has the Son, has life; whoever rejects the Son, rejects life.
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!(2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV))
I opened the present slowly. This gift, one of many I had received from a close friend over the years, would be as thoughtful and extravagant as the others. She knows me well. She is quite aware of all my failings and strengths, and she loves me in spite of them. For a moment, I hesitated. Knowing I could never give her anything as expensive in return, I considered handing the gift back to her. But as I searched her face, filled with the expectancy of my joy, I couldn’t deny her the pleasure. The gift would benefit both of us.
For many years, I have chosen to reject the lavish gift of forgiveness that God gave me through the blood of Jesus. I considered it a debt I must try to repay. The guilt was unbearable, the weight on my self-esteem heavy. But on that day, sitting with my friend, I understood. I had caught a glimpse of Jesus in her eyes. The gift of his magnificent sacrifice and his offer of eternal life gives him pleasure, despite my unworthiness. The fact that I can never repay him is irrelevant.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). All we need to do is to say, “Thank you.”
The Author: Heidi Gaul (Oregon, USA)
Thought for the Day: We are blessed when we open God’s gifts.
Prayer: Every day, dear God, you present us with new gifts. Bless us with eyes to see and accept them graciously. Amen.
Prayer focus: Faithful friends
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