The Gift and the Giver

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out!  Who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has been His counselor?  Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?  For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever!  Amen.” - Romans 11:33-36

If you have children, you may be familiar with the following scenario. At Christmas time, most elementary schools have some type of store for the children to shop for their parents. There is a variety of “gifts” and the children bring in money to purchase a gift, wrap it, and then take it home to give on Christmas day. It is always comical to see what the children pick out…I mean who doesn’t need a toothpick holder, right?

While the gifts are sometimes, shall we say, questionable…the children are so proud that they picked out and paid for the gift. They like being the giver. Most of the time, however, they received money from their parents to go and buy a gift for their parents. So then, it is really the parents who are both the giver and the receiver of the gifts, right? But children don’t realize this. To them, they gave the gift.

There is an amazing parallel in this scene. It is one that goes much deeper than material gifts that will fade away. It is of a loving Father who allows His children access to His magnificent riches so that they can give it all back to Him. These riches are not only material, but also the riches of love, compassion, wisdom, knowledge, strength, mercy, faith, and much more.

Like children, we often times wrongly identify ourselves as the giver. It is time that we grow up and realize that everything we have to give has been given to us by God.  Therefore, all things are from Him and for Him – He is both the Giver and the Receiver of all good things. As His beloved children, we must loosen our grip on what we possess with a willingness to give Him what is truly already His. Only then will we experience true and lasting peace.

Holy Father, I am in awe of Your glory and majesty. I know that I could search forever and still not uncover all of Your riches. Thank You for choosing to love me when I was unlovable. In Jesus’ name, amen.