Women of Warren Vlog – Adore the ONE Who Gives

hello i hope you're having a great start to your week we are in the middle of our christmas series adore we have looked at passages in scripture that grow adoration in our heart towards the one who came, the one who pursues, and today the one who gives. If you were to ask me to tell you of what the Lord has given me, of stories of his faithfulness and his provision in my life, I would have story after story and could go on and on. And I'm sure you could too. And that's good. We should have that. That's our ongoing testimony of what the Lord has and is doing in our lives. And that's good. That's good that we remember that. But why is it that at the top of that list, as I answer that question, should be the greatest gift that the Lord has ever given me? the biggest problem that I've ever had that he solved by sending his son Jesus, by giving his one and only son. It's like that is old news and I don't want that to be the case. I want to filter every other activity of the Lord in my life through the lens that he has already given me the greatest gift. John 3 16 tells us that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him would not perish but will have eternal life. I heard a Christmas song the other day and it was just a really sweet window into the heart of our heavenly father as the giver of good things. It was written from the perspective of an earthly father who couldn't wait for Christmas morning for his children to open the gifts that he had given them and he was so excited to watch them. These are the lyrics of that chorus. Oh the joy that's on the way. A father's heart can hardly wait to give his children something too good to believe. I've been counting down the days. I wonder if you did the same. The night before you gave the greatest gift to me, God, is this the way you felt on Christmas Eve? Romans 8, 32 says, He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? If my eyes are forever fixed on the greatest gift that I have ever received, greatest gift i will ever receive that solved the biggest problem i will ever face how would that change my knowledge and understanding of the heart of god as the giver of good gifts we're told in matthew 7 verse 11. how would that perspective if my eyes are fixed on that greatest gift how would that change my perspective as I go to the Lord and bring him other needs that I have, other things that are heavy on my heart, maybe things I'm asking him to give me or give to someone that I love. Really, all that he's done in my life, story after story of his kindness and his faithfulness, All of that is wonderful, but it pales in comparison to the gift that he gave me, Christmas, as his son came, as he sent his one and only son. And we know that Jesus came to die, to purchase our freedom so that we could have abundant life now, so that we could fellowship with him now and be with him for eternity. But the generous heart of our Father, not only did he give us his Son and this free gift of salvation for all who receive it, all who believe in their heart and confess with their mouth, but he also gives us all good things, like I mentioned in Matthew 7, verse 11. But Ephesians 1, 3 gives us another window into the heart of God as a giver. Ephesians 1, verse 3 says, Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. God not only gave us Jesus, the greatest gift ever, he also gives us every spiritual blessing through Christ. 2 Peter 1, verse 3 says, His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through Jesus, we have all that we need for life and for godliness. The gift that is Christ, that he has come, Emmanuel, God to be with us. That gift also gives us every spiritual blessing. It also gives us all that we need for life and for godliness. And then Psalm 84, verse 11 says, For the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Today, may we adore the one who gives, the one who gave Jesus the greatest gift that we will ever receive, who also, through Jesus, gives us every spiritual blessing, who gives us all that we need for life and godliness. So I pray that what grows in our hearts over these next nine days before Christmas isn't just a feeling of franticness that we only have nine days left. That isn't feelings of anxiety or even exhaustion as we try to do all that we can do to make next week special for all of those that we love but that what would grow most in our hearts over these remaining nine days would be adoration adoring the one who came adoring the one who pursues and adoring the one who gives I hope you have a great week. I'll see you soon.

Originally published at warren.church.