Proverbs 17:8 – “ A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.”
When someone truly receives a gift, it has an impact on their whole life. A true gift is given when the giver takes from themselves and bestows it on another, who does not deserve it. If the recipient deserves that which is given, it is earned or merited (they DESERVE IT). If a gift is not taken from the one who gives it, there is no meaning or value to that which is given (I.e.- regifting unwanted items or stealing from someone to give to another).
A gift is special because someone went without to fulfill a need or desire of another. When one receives such a gift, it impacts their very heart. No matter how many times the recipient returns to the gift, no matter how long it has been since receiving it, the gift still prospers just as much as the day they received it. Many of us have a place where we display such gifts that have impacted us in the past, and we proudly display the tokens that were used as a gesture of love from another.
When we receive such a gift, we tell others; show it to those we know; and, keep it close to us for fear of misplacing it or tarnishing it. We safeguard such gifts, ensuring no wear and tear comes to them. We keep such gifts away from those who we feel will, albeit unintentionally, do harm to our gifts. After all, you do not let toddlers handle your fine china and crystal glasses.
Every time our eyes catches one of those gifts, even decades down the line, the emotions we felt when receiving it brim to the surface of our hearts once more. Therein, lies the tragedy of gifts. We do not always keep such things in the forefront of our mind, allowing daily affairs and commotion to sweep them into the antechambers of our consciousness. The gift is still as precious and treasured, but we forget such until we once again give attention to it.
This truth is common for so many Christians with regard to the gift of God’s only begotten Son. When they are at church, or among the brethren, the gift of salvation is clearly in their view and they can cherish it openly. Yet, as soon as they return to the world, Christ’s sacrifice and gift to them is forgotten just as we forget our baubles on a shelf at home when we are at work.
One of the many things about Christ is that we can take his gift and Himself (through the person of the Holy Spirit) with us wherever we go. Many simply do not choose to. The more we inspect Christ, the more He prospers in our life. The more we profess His kind works to others, the brighter He becomes in our life. The more time we spend with Him in private, the more we will see His fingerprints in our public life.
Never get over the feeling of receiving the gift of Jesus Christ. Never sequester Him to some auxiliary part of your conscience where you allow dust and grime to accumulate on your cherished gift. Always carry in your heart the admiration and awe that God’s Son died for you, personally, to pay your son debt.
Your fellowservant in Christ,
Bro. Jordan Foster
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