Open Your Gift!
Dear Friends,
James 1:17 (AMPC), “Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above……”
In June, my husband received various gifts for Father’s Day. We went by his mom’s house and picked up his gifts, He looked at some of the gifts at his mom’s house, but stated that he would open the rest later. He came home took a several items out of his gift bag, and slid the gift box under the bed. Remind you that was June 21st, let’s fast forward to July 10th. I was looking underneath the bed for a gadget that I know his mom had put in one of his gift boxes, and I noticed a greeting card still in the gift box. Well, his birthday was July 8th, so I decided I would open the card and sit out with his other greeting cards on the counter. As I opened the gift, I noticed there was money on the inside, a blessing that had been there for almost 20 days.
It reminded me of the passage of scripture found in Matthew 25 the three servants had been given a talent (gift). Matthew 25:18 (AMPC), “But he who had received the one talent (gift) went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money (gift)". Although, my husband didn’t purposely hide his gift, he was still responsible for opening his gift. So, by default he hid his gift.
God has given each of us talents (spiritual gifts). How many of us have hid them? How many of us haven’t opened up the gift to even receive what on the inside of it (our gifts hold our blessings)? How many of us have thrown the gift away? This parable should enlighten us to the truth that God, not only wants to give us gifts, but also expects us to open the gifts and use them. He never graced us to bury them, hide them, or just throw them away. To know you have a gift, yet never open it…..means we don't know how important our gifts are from the gift giver. Our gifts our necessary in advancing God’s kingdom in the earth. I Peter 4:10 (AMPC) confirms this, “As each of you has received a gift (a particular spiritual talent, a gracious divine endowment), employ it for one another as (befits) good trustees of God’s many-sided grace (faithful steward of extremely diverse powers and gifts granted to Christian by unmerited favor).”
Prayer:
Lord, I repent for taking your gifts and hiding them. Holy Spirit help me discover my gifts, and uncover the ones I know I have hidden. Open my heart, eyes, and ears to the gifting you have graced upon my life. May my gifts bring glory to God and your Kingdom. God it is you who has graced us with our gift, may we be faithful, bold, and humble enough to received them. In Jesus name. Amen.
Opening all my gifts,
Chanda Rose
