Nougat 14

What do you give to the person who has everything? That’s a question that often comes to mind during many gift exchanges. There are now apps that help with that (unless it is a surprise gift), as they invite people to indicate exactly what they want or need. Nevertheless, some people are disappointed with their gifts because the gift-giver failed to pay attention. This is worth further reflection as we consider Today’s Holy Nougat

Psalms 56:12 CEVDCI

[12] I will keep my promises to you, my God, and bring you gifts.

Bringing God Good Gifts

When we think of Who God is and of God’s nature, most of us are moved to bring God gifts. The kind of gifts given varies in nature, as does God’s wish for a gift from us. It may be that our motive for giving to God affects how we give, but I suspect that the depth of our relationship also impacts our gift.

Self-Check

What is the current state of our relationship with God, and why would that affect the gift desired or given?

Application

I would say that above all else, God’s desire is for an intimate (as in deeply personal) relationship with each of us. When we consider that we are described as God’s children (e.g. 1 John 3:1) or as God’s bride (see Isaiah 62:5; Ephesians 5:25-27; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 19:7-9; and Revelation 21:2, 9), it quickly becomes evident that the greatest gift we can give to God is the gift of ourselves.

It may seem like an odd gift, because there is a sense in which we already belong to God. But our sin nature has created a serious distance between us, and it requires a bit more intentionality on our part for that belonging to be mutual. We must commit, just as we do for friendships or even for our employment. When that commitment is made, then what we seek to work out is how much of our time, talent and treasure we give back to God, the One Who gifted us with life in the first place.

Since the psalmist refers to gifts and not just one gift, it is possible that the desire is to offer all of the above. That would mean spending time in praise, prayer and worship so that we could know God better and intensify our relationship. It could also be us using our gifts and skills to tell others about God’s love and to also worship God inside or outside the temple. Also, we may choose to gift God with our treasure – a tithe or more perhaps (?) – in gratitude for all God has given to us.

And that’s the joy of giving to God. Whatever we give to God is often given back to us by God in abundance. It may come when we least expect it, but God is always giving us lavish gifts, including the gift of life.

As we reflect on the current state of our relationship, I suspect therefore that we should no longer feel as if we don’t know what God desires. It may be one of the Ts. And if we truly don’t know, let’s ask God to tell us – we will certainly get an answer.

Point to Ponder

Isaiah 58 and Micah 6 also invite us to think of practical gifts to offer God today. Let’s try to ensure that we bring God a gift today.

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May all we seek be found in Christ