Unwrapped Gifts

The bible tells is that there are strangers and foreigners to God’s covenant. Strangers are people who do not know that God has made a covenant; a way for us to be in relationship with Him. They don’t know it exists. They miss the gifts of God because they don’t know they were purchased for them. They don’t even know they are there and waiting for them.

Foreigners are people who know it exists but either by lack of information or lack of will they do not know what that covenant provides. They miss the wonderful provisions and gifts that God longs for them to have. Jesus paid for them and we leave them sitting there all wrapped in beautiful paper with big bright bows and ribbons decorating them.

We can often live as Foreigners for many reasons. We don’t feel worthy of more than what we have received. We feel we need to earn things by being “holier”. The truth is we will never be holier than we are right now. As we seek Him we will certainly have a bigger revelation or who He is and who we are but this doesn’t make us more acceptable. We are accepted and loved completely by a God who does not compare His children. We sometimes live as a foreigner because we don’t want to change. Life lived with God is one that requires an open heart and willingness to change. Sometimes we don’t want to give up our “control”. We want to know God but only so far. We keep Him at arms lengths for fear of what it will cost us, what He May ask of us or perhaps because of what we perceive He will think of us. Because of these things we leave so much that He has for us on the table. God is not a forceful God He will not demand things of us. He will woo us; stirring our hearts until we willingly offer more of our heart to Him.

How awful it is to have a God who offers freedom in Jesus name and still be bound by fear, to limit His ability to express His love and to miss the role that He created us for as sons and daughters of the King.

What are the gifts that He has so painstakingly prepared for us? What is within those boxes so beautifully adorned? We can only know when we open them. They are so much more than the latest fad item, so much more than intrinsic goods. Perhaps it is a truth that brings freedom and hope to some long dormant dream of your heart. It may be a person, so often we fail to realize the people in front of us, the ones we “run into” may very well be the gift of a moment to see God change a life.

Let’s not leave a single present on the table! God is a good and loving Father and it is His delight to give us the Kingdom! Let’s take our place, fully outfitted with every good thing we need and establish His kingdom!