This post is adapted from the devotions I led at the arts camp last week.
Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures. (James 1:17-18 MSG)
If you had a random gift sitting in front of you, what are some questions you might ask about it?
Who put it here?
What’s in it?
Why is it here?
Think for a moment about who we get gifts from. Usually, the giver is a relative or friend.
And who do you give gifts to? Again, probably relatives and friends. But you may also give gifts to missions, like the shoeboxes we pack in the fall for Operation Christmas Child.
Think about when we get gifts. You probably think of Christmas, your birthday, maybe Easter baskets, perhaps when someone travels, and sometimes “just because.” One of my earliest memories is from my third birthday, when I received a swing set. I remember the popcorn popper, jewelry, and iron I received as gifts when I graduated from high school. Some gifts are meant to be remembered.
Take a moment and consider this question: Why do people give each other gifts? For some, it’s an obligation; for others, it’s a way of being polite. For some, it’s a way of blessing someone else. For others, it’s a way of showing love—a love language, if you will.
Do you remember the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden? God created them and then placed them in a perfect place for them. It had perfect weather, food, and everything they needed. He created these perfect people and placed them in a perfect environment. But why did God create people?
The Bible tells us that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Even before God created our universe, the earth, or people, God was LOVE. The Father loved the Son, who loved the Holy Spirit, who loved the Father. Within the three persons of the Trinity was something like a beautiful cosmic dance of love.
So, if God was complete in three persons, sharing this beautiful dance of love, why did He create the universe, the earth, and people?
Our God was—and is—overflowing with love. He didn’t need people; He wanted to create us. He didn’t need worship or adoration or anything else—God is complete within Himself. But He did want to create people—you and me—because of His boundless love.
At Christmas, many of us give gifts. Why? Ideally, we follow the example of the Magi, who gave gifts to the baby Jesus. We give because we love.
When you choose a gift for someone, do you take time to think about what they would like? Whether you make it or buy it, do you give a gift that you know is junk?
Neither does God.
God created each of you because He wanted to. None of you was an accident. Every one of you was made by God for His good purposes and plans.
Psalm 139 tells us that when we were “knit together in our mothers’ wombs,” we were “fearfully and wonderfully made.”
God doesn’t make junk. He created each of you intentionally, with a purpose for your life.
God of Love,
Thank you for creating each of us out of your overflowing love. No matter how old we become, may we always be people who are aware of this simple truth and constant in our gratitude to You. Help us to be people who live out of places of love, secure in the plans and purposes You have for our lives. Bless us anew with a sense of Your loving Presence, we ask in Jesus’ name.
AMEN.
(To be continued tomorrow…)