The Gift Giver

(9-4-05)

John 4:10-15

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^{James 1:17} Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. ¹⁸ He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

God is the greatest gift giver, who can do better? His motives are righteous, his gifts flawless, to what can we compare? I expect that our homes are filled with things that someone gave, weather for a holiday or some special occasion. And in each there is special attachment depending on who did the giving and why. James tells us that the true gifts of value come from our heavenly Father.

Do we cherish what He has Given like we do a favorite dress or shirt, trinket or toy? Stop for just a moment and look around you, is there someone here who has been a precious gift from God in your life? I think we all have people in our lives who we have praised God for or at least should be praising Him for.

You likely know this passage and can easily finish it: God so loved the world that He ______ his only ______ _____ that who so ever believeth in him should not _______ but have ______ _______. What is interesting about gifts are the benefits that the gift provides. A blanket as a gift gives warmth, comfort, beauty and security but is still only a blanket.

God has given the world His one and only Son, can you count the benefits that come through that Gift? Jesus knew what and who He was and is to the world. To the Samaritan woman he said – "if you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." If there was ever a gift that just keeps on giving, it is Jesus. Isn’t that true?

Is Jesus to you like so many a cheap toy, great to play with at the moment but soon is broken or out grown and discarded? I know of a young man who is often given toys from his father but told he must leave them in the box because they are collectors items and will be worth so much more later. I think how sad that is to be deprived of the greatest benefit of the toy gift, the very thing for which it was made, to be played with. How much sadder it is to see the greatest gift ever given left in the box, or worse just crumpled up and thrown away.

God’s gift to you is His son Jesus. Have you been experiencing the benefits of that most precious of gifts? What does Jesus bring to your life? Are you thankful? Is God getting the glory He so richly deserves for all that you are receiving because you have accepted Jesus for yourself?

Take a moment and consider what you have received from Jesus because of your relationship to Him and because of that relationship asked. Jesus statement to the Samaritan woman is still echoing today – ‘if you knew the Gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him,…’ what would you be asking for and what would He give?