God Does Gifts Even Better Than You

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

It's never easier to understand the good intentions and plans God has for you, than at Christmas time.

The efforts we each go to in order to see, hear, and experience a recipient's glee is remarkable. As soon as a gift idea comes to mind for someone, our focus becomes very narrow & intense, like a lioness stalking prey. All other projects are handled out of duty, but the search and preparations to make "that" item someone's gift is the source joy, dread, and frustrations. Yet, we are determined to make it happen.  Each morning the first thing on our mind is how and where to get that present. We shop online. We go from store to store. We brave the congested traffic, and the cranky fellow-shoppers. Even WE become cranky in our exhaustive search.

We want to experience that shriek of surprise from a recipient. We want to see that you-shouldn't-have look flood someone's eyes. It's so rewarding to incite surprise tears of joy in someone because we gave them the perfect gift. 

There is nothing so personally fulfilling as being a gifter.

I ask that today you recognize THAT IS HOW GOD FEELS ABOUT YOU! 

God doesn't spend time contemplating your punishment because you've been so sinful. He has eternally contemplated how to swoop in and rescue you from the wages of sin!

God doesn't sit on the throne in a resentful stew over how you've ignored him. He sits on his throne continually sending you love tokens that might catch your eye.

God doesn't allow his mind to be consumed with what you deserve. God's mind is like an eternal Christmas-mind; his thoughts toward you are CONSUMED with providing you with every good and perfect gift. 

There is a "trick" to being on the receiving end of God's gifts; it is that we ASK. In the passage where Jesus is comparing his ability to provide good gifts, to a dad's provision abilities, he points out that the child ASKS for bread and fish. 

Even though God knows the desires of our hearts, he also knows that part of the "purchase" of a gift comes through the power of the tongue. Therefore, Jesus said, "ASK!"

God doesn't think you're being selfish if you ask for your specific desires. He sees your request as a level of trust that is shared between only the closest of companions. I don't tell just anyone what I truly want for a gift. They may see me as "cheap," or as "haughty," or as "ridiculous," if they knew what I really, really want. But if I believe someone loves me, I can trust them to know what the desires of my heart are.

There is great creative-power is speaking out your desires. And there is a sign of great trust in who you reveal your desires to. 

God has repeatedly tried to convince humanity that he delights in relationship. He will play whatever role you need him to play, JUST to be near you. He'll be your father, your husband, your friend, your teacher, your master, your servant. He craves your love and trust. 

So, approach him with the insight that he wants you to trust him enough that you ASK for what you want and need.

You're the child of The KING of kings!

Matthew 7:11

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

The [insert your name here] Project

God is NOT finished with you!

Look around at all things beautiful and comforting; from the great outdoors, to a cozy quilt, to a delightful baby. These took TIME & STAGES to create. 

Where you are today is not the end of "The You Project."

God is not a procrastinator. He doesn’t have a craft room, or shed, full of half finished projects. He is the most deliberate, purposeful, well-planned individual EVER. 

The way a farmer knows what fields need what ground enhancements, when. 

The way a wedding planner knows what week to do each preparatory task. 

The way a gardener knows which plant goes in which zone, and when. 

This is how God sees you and your needs. He KNOWS how to complete you better than you know yourself.

He knows when to do what. He knows how to do each step and stage so that its so perfect. And he LOVES the project of "You."

What are you passionate about?

Do you LOVE to cook? Do your happy-endorphins start going nuts just reading recipes? 

Do you LOVE to exercise? Does just strapping on your running shoes cause you to feel empowered? 

Do you LOVE to make furniture? Does the very smell of saw dust, or the squeal of the saw make your senses stand to attention? 

Do you LOVE coffee? Does talking about the age of the coffee bean, the temperature of the water, the perfect froth just cause you to come alive with energy?

However you feel about your passion, realize; that's how God feels about,

"The [insert your name here] Project."

He's consumed with you. 

He's invigorated by you. 

He's so delighted about you that he SINGS.

Don't allow despair to drown you. Don't give fear a foothold. Begin to sing songs of hope and faith. Begin to smile in the knowledge of what is unfolding. Snap your fingers, clap your hands, create some joyful rhythms!

Begin to say things like, "This is going to be AWESOME!"

When somebody asks, What's going to be awesome?"

Smile at them and say, "What God is doing for me is going to be AWESOME!"

YOU ARE HIS GREATEST PASSION. 

Isaiah 49:16 (KJV) 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of [my] hands; thy walls [are] continually before me.

Matthew 10:30 (KJV)

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Zephaniah 3:17 (KJV)

The LORD thy God in the midst of thee [is] mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

John 14:18 (KJV)

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Haggai 2:9 (KJV)

The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.

It's As Simple As That

Matthew 11:25

At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

Not everybody is "into kids."

I have been since I was a kid. People used to tell me I was going to have a crooked back when I grew up because I ALWAYS had a baby on my hip.

I'm aware not everybody feels this way about all children, but most of the time parents feel this pleasure from their own children. We like to see them smile. We like to fix their reason for tears. We like to see their joy when they master a puzzle. We go to great strides to repeat the satisfaction of these experiences.

We teach children to be complex, but a child's nature is to love simplicity.

Until we teach them otherwise, they prefer the box the toy came in. They prefer splashing water or sandboxes to gadgets.

Jesus revealed a very important key to getting and having God's attention;

"Pssst! Become as a child."

Your Heavenly Father is very much "into kids." Especially grown ups who love and trust him him with abandonment of sight & sound. Regardless of the seriousness or chaos going on around them, they go get "Dad" to fix it. God is as addicted to your reaction of peace and joy as you are to your children's. But be a bratty princess, or a grouchy bully, and even God can't get excited about that. The same way a well-behaved, grateful child gets all the "breaks," a grown up who comes to God as THAT kind of child gets all the breaks.

He has CHOSEN to reveal to those with the simplicity of child-like faith.

Give God your best thought, attitude, behavior and words.

He can't resist it.

VERSE OF THE DAY: John 11:14

VERSE OF THE DAY: John 11:14

SONG: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5a5pnomkeif5s9e/John%2011%2014.mp3 

John 11:14

Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

We know that God is love. We know that when God came to earth as the man, Christ Jesus, he spoke peace & calmed a storm. We know that Jesus was so kind and approachable that children were comfortable & happy to receive a hug from him.

Sometimes, however, Jesus must take on a role of cold, hard reality. That's what we find Jesus doing in John 11:14. In this verse he was not saying, "peace be still." He was not saying, "Let the children come!" In this verse he was lowering the boom about reality, saying it "plainly."

Sometimes Jesus does this in our lives as well. He requires us to face and accept a hard fact.

But we can never become so overwhelmed with the shock and emotion caused by the reality that we lose faith in God's love for us. Regardless of the pain, God is at work for us. He will never leave or forsake us. He will walk through the difficulties of life with us.

THOUGHTS AND DISCUSSIONS

What "realities" have you had to face?

What emotions did you feel?

Do you feel you found a way to trust God's love?

COMMITMENT

Tell God your thoughts & feelings.

Ask forgiveness for any time you may have doubted his love.

Ask for his help to think and behave as a disciple of Christ.

Tell God (and possibly yourself, and those you're accountable to) that you will strive to handle difficulties with behaviors of faith in God's love for you. 

ABOUT THIS DEVOTIONAL:

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The Verse of the Day is taken from a selection of Bible memory verses, compiled for memorization by the United Pentecostal Church International, for the Bible Quizzing program.

Denée writes & records each verse as an individual song to aid the memorization process. You can find the links to purchase the songs at Denée's website:

www.DeneeRichardson.com.