When Melanie and I were first married, like many newlyweds, we struggled to make ends meet. I was going to grad school full-time and also working part-time. Melanie was starting her career as a teacher. By God’s grace and provision, we never went hungry and we were able to take care of the expenses we had. God’s grace and provision took multiple forms. Yes, we had the regular income of our jobs, but we were also the recipients of God’s provision through His people. I remember one such occasion when our water bill was due and we just didn’t have the money to pay it. The next day we received a check in the mail from a friend (who didn’t have much herself!) for almost the exact amount we needed for the bill. She told us that she sensed God leading her to send us the gift. We were so thankful, but also amazed at God’s care and provision through His people. I could share many other similar examples of how God used the generosity of His people to take care of us and provide for the needs we had.
As a pastor, I am regularly reminded of the struggles that people have not only in our own community, but also throughout the world. At the time of this writing, it is actually the week of Thanksgiving. More than any other time of the year, we are reminded to be thankful for the blessings in our lives. The call and command for God’s people to be thankful to Him is a thread woven throughout the Bible. James 1:17 reminds us that, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” Everything good in our lives finds its source in our loving Heavenly Father. In fact, by the time you are reading this, we are now enjoying Christmas lights, decorations, and music in anticipation of Christmas, which of course is the celebration of God’s greatest gift – His Son, the Lord Jesus. Through Him, we have the opportunity not only to be reconciled to God, but even adopted into His family so that we can live eternally with Him! No greater gift has ever been given in all of human history.
Our God owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10-12) and lacks nothing, yet He is also incredibly generous. Yes, He has given His own Son so that we can be forgiven of our sin and brought into relationship with Him, but as a loving Father, He also gives and provides good things for His children (Matthew 7:7-11). As we learned in the early years of our marriage, sometimes He does that through the obedience and generosity of His children. But, not only does He use His children to bless others through generosity, God also gives a unique joy to the giver in the process. Whether our family has been able to partner with our church or other ministries to give and bless others or when we sense God’s leading to do so as individuals, the reality is that we then experience an incredible joy from seeing God do His amazing work firsthand.
Christmas is certainly a season of giving. I’d like to challenge all of us to consider how we might be part of God’s grace and provision for others by blessing those who may have greater needs than our own. There are likely needs all around us, perhaps some in which we may be completely unaware. Therefore, it is important for us to seek God and listen carefully for His voice. I am grateful that our friend heard God’s voice many years ago. If we listen carefully, I’m confident we can hear it ourselves today and sense how He might lead us to bless others. When we do, get ready to experience that unique joy from being part of His plan to bless others.
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