She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavish on her the silver and gold – which they use for Baal.
Hosea 2:8
In all our striving, we tend to forget where our gifts come from.
I’ve been given so many gifts over my lifetime. Some come in the form of things, some as talents, some as people, then there’s time, words, peace, and so much more. And I always cherish and love each gift I’m given, but when I receive these gifts, I tend to focus in on the excited giver, the hand it comes from, that special person, the stranger, or sometimes I see myself. Yet in seeing these people and the gifts they give, many times I forget to recognize the main giver of all gifts, and how he hasn’t just giving me the gift but also the gift of the hands who have given them to me.
From my own hands, I should thank him for how he created me and not just condemn the me I see in the mirror. In the hands of the stranger, I should recognize his creation and the work he’s doing in others all over the earth. And my favorite, the hands of those who truly care for me, how God has blessed me with the gift of each of them. All very different, all unique, and all the picture of his love for me.
Behind every gift, everything we receive, there is the initial giver and then there’s the main giver of all. When we recognize him, when we give thanks to him in all things, we receive an abundance of joy in all of life through a chain of gratefulness poured into our heart.
Dear Lord, Thank you for being the giver, gift-giver, of all things in my life. Allow me to not just see the gift, but those that give it and ultimately you who give all to me. Let me always recognize and give thanks for you and your love for me in everything, and in all things. Amen
Running 2 Fly 