just love to get a gift? I do! Some of us love it so much that we may be thankful only for the gift and not for the giver. As a matter of fact, it doesn't matter who the giver is, so long as we get the gift. Oh, we say that we really appreciate the person who gave us the gift, but you know, if the gift is more important to us than the giver, then we probably do not really appreciate the giver. Now, I do believe that there may be some of us who do appreciate the giver of the gift, but still, it may be hard to determine if we love the gift more than the giver, or vice versa. You know that God gave us the greatest gift of all, His Son. God has also given us many other gifts: life, health, a house to live in, food to eat, and many other necessities of life. 1 Cor 12:7-10 talks about some spiritual gifts;
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
Romans 12:6-8 talks about spiritual gifts,
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Look at the gifts He gave the church in Ephesians 4:11-12,
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Now, read this: Luke 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? We can't overlook Psalm 68:19, Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
God is the giver of every good gift that we receive, whether it be spiritual or temporal, but if we are more interested in getting the gift than we are in loving The Giver, then we are missing the mark. May we "seek...first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; (then) all these things shall be added unto (us)". Matt 6:33
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