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Gift Upon Gift
Andrea Lende • May 22, 2020
John 1:16
Gift upon Gift
You may also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Gift-Upon-Gift-eedla2
Daily Word:
John 1:16
“For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.”
John the Baptist was talking to the people about Jesus.
His explanation in this verse is extraordinary.
We are given so much because of Jesus.
There is abundant grace.
And when that grace is used up, there is more grace.
As we grow in Christ and receive spiritual blessings, we receive more spiritual blessings.
There is abundant favor.
As we ask for, believe, and receive God’s favor, He grants us more favor.
Lastly, John talks about gifts.
He said we have access to gifts literally heaped on more gifts.
I imagine the Christmas movies where people are carrying so many wrapped up gifts that they are falling to the ground.
The Lord is generous beyond our comprehension.
He has so many wonderful things that He desires to give us.
We simply need to receive them.
There is disappointment when we to plan to give something to somebody and then they won’t receive it.
The same must be true for the Lord.
Although He is far beyond patient, I wonder if He feels despondent when so many of His people won’t, or do not know how to, receive the gifts He has for them.
On the human side, we often don’t feel worthy to receive all he has to give.
We also may not even know He has gifts ready to give us so we cannot receive them.
This happens when we don’t spend time with Him.
If we are regularly communing with Him, then we feel His gentle nudging.
We know that He has something for us.
Without relationship with Him, we simply do not know what He is trying to give to us.
Today I choose to spend time with the Lord so that I may worship Him, learn from Him, and receive all that He has to give me.
May you find that the Lord has gifts stored up for you that He is waiting to be received by you.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for Your most generous nature. Thank You for wanting to bless me and give me abundant grace. Thank You for wanting to bless me spiritually, Lord. I desire to learn all that You have to teach me. Thank You for Your favor. You put me in places that I could not put me in. You give me a great name, Lord. Thank You. And thank You for every gift You have given me and every gift You have in store for me. Help me stay close to you, Lord. Help me spend time with You, Father, so that I become so in tune with You that I am fully ready to receive all that You have to give me. Keep me seeking You, Lord. Keep me at Your feet. Help me be more generous to those around me, Lord, as You are. Help me give to others abundantly. Help me do all that You have for me to do today and every day. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you, My child, and desire to give to you all things in abundance.
Response: Thank You for every blessing, Lord, and help me notice every one.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.