One Thousand Gifts

For Christmas I received a book titled "One Thousand Gifts: Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are" by Ann Voskamp. I thought this was particularly appropriate since the NewSpring Church preaching series for the month of December was titled "Fully Alive".

My intention is not to write a synopsis or a review of the book but to start my list of one thousand gifts. Ann had struggled with unresolved grief since her little sister was hit and killed by a truck when they young. As she studied scripture she saw how thankfulness was tied into salvation and blessings so she started a list - on a dare - to name 1000 gifts from God for which she was thankful.

These will not to be the ordinary family, friends, health, etc gifts but the unexpected or unnoticed gifts, the things we too often take for granted. So today I have started my list and have two items:

1. the honking of geese as they fly over my house on their way to the pond
2. bright sunshine after many days, and almost 6 inches, of rain  

Each day I want to be expectant of some precious gift from God that I might not ordinarily even recognize as a gift but God gives to me anyway. "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." James 1:17 ESV

Heartache

When I heard about the school shooting in Connecticut where elementary age children as well as teachers lost their lives, my heart was broken for the families of the children and teachers but also for the family of the shooter. I was thinking about good and evil and how do I really put together a God who is supreme and supremely good with such an act of evil.

This has been a question for the ages so I as glad today that I ran across this article by David Platt. He is a pastor in Birmingham, AL. What he says I already knew but was glad to see it said in a way that I never could.

Please take time to read his article.

Faith

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1)

Why is faith in God so hard to come by? We have faith in our favorite team's coaches that they I'll supply a winning season. We have faith in the weatherman and take an umbrella when he says it will rain. Some have faith in the President or the stock market, some in their talent or good looks.

About 2700 or so years go the prophet Isaiah was sent by God to King Ahaz of Judah to tell him not to fear the kings who were plotting to capture Jerusalem. God, through Isaiah, said it's not going to happen. Then God said, "If you at not firm in faith, you are not firm at all."  (Isaiah 7:1-9)

When Jesus began to interact with people, He marveled at the faith of a Roman centurion and chastised His disciples for their lack of faith. (Matthew 8, Mark 4, Luke 8). When the writer to the Hebrews wrote his letter, he listed a whole bunch of people known for their faith (Hebrews 11). However, this writer points out that they did not receive the promise that fueled their faith. That promise was the Messiah. But he also tells us in Hebrews 11:6, "And without faith it is impossible 
to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him."

For most of us the problem comes with the word reward. We have the idea that God's reward will be financial security or a trouble free life or no sickness (or at least complete physical healing if we do get sick). In Hebrews 11, the writer lists a bunch of great things that happened to or for people of faith but he also tells us of those who "suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated..." (Hebrews 11:35-36) The rewards of faith are not always immediately apparent or received.

Jesus, as always, is the standard we follow, especially when it comes to faith, "looking to Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2). His reward was AFTER He became a human and AFTER He was despised and AFTER He was tortured and AFTER He became sin for us and AFTER He was crucified. All these horrible things had to happen so Jesus could show us His power over sin and death by rising from the dead and then ascending back to Heaven to receive His reward. 

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1)

They Bow Down

In Isaiah chapter 2, the prophet is speaking to the people of Judah and Jerusalem when he says God has rejected them "...because they are full of things from the east and of fortunetellers like the Philistines...Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is filled with horses, and there is no end to their chariots. Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made." (vs 6-8)

Just prior to this he has told them God is not pleased with their worship, He despises their sacrifices and celebrations because of their sin. But God also says, "Come now, let us reason together...though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." (Isaiah 1:18)

As I read this I thought about idols we have today; how full we are of silver and gold and houses and cars...and technology. We have plenty of things and always seem to want more. Just look at the people who camp in front of stores for black Friday and stores that used to close on Thanksgiving but are now open so we can shop, shop, shop. The more we have the more we are likely to make "the work of our hands" an idol.

Our idols may not be getting the latest toy or car or computer or iPhone but may be getting the latest twitter or Facebook update or having the most followers or getting the most retweets. Idolatry comes in lots of different forms.

As a follower of Jesus Christ my salvation is assured and the scarlet stains of my sins have been erased. But is God pleased with my worship? Do I show up at church on Sunday with nary a thought of God all week and expect Him to tell me I'm a good girl because I sang a few songs and listened to a preacher? Do I treat God as my personal Santa to give me what I ask for without asking Him what He wants for me to have?

Do I really bow down to the Creator of the universe, the Savior of my soul, or do I bow to the world and its trinkets and secretly hope He doesn't notice? This Christmas I want to renew my focus on the marvelous gift of salvation freely given to me and to all who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God, who died for my sins, and rose from the dead three days later.

Giving gifts at Christmas is an expression of love but I want to be sure the love of Christ is the gift I share the most.