Come and Get It!
Where would you hide a gift if you knew that where it's hidden is the only way to get someone to spend time with you? You would keep it attached to you!
I told a friend one day, "I have something to give you, let's go out to eat." Now I could have mailed her this gift and planned a brunch date separately, so why package them together? It wasn't because I wished to kill two birds with one stone. It was because I knew that the gift would lead to what I really longed for... quality time. With this particular friend, if I didn't "advertise" the gift in this way, she would have happily accepted the gift alone and not extend herself to hang out. Although I know she loves me, I don't think she truly understands how much I value our friendship and time together over any gift. My love language is quality time... and it's God's too. (find your love language!) Now, perhaps you may be thinking that my friend isn't one worth having, but then shouldn't our Father think the same about us?
Psalm 16:11 says, "In His presence there's a fullness of joy and at His right hand there are pleasures forevermore." There is joy in His presence and pleasures in His hand. God doesn't just leave all His presents laying around in the Bible. He keeps some in His presence because He knows many of us would do what my friend does - take the PRESENTS without His PRESENCE.
Still, one of the beautiful things about God is that He gives gifts to everyone, whether we seek Him or not. Romans 11:29 says, "For the gifts and callings of God are without repentance" (whether you accept Jesus or not). If you are a singer, dance, actor, mathematician, etc., you have received a gift from God! However, God saves His SWEETEST fruit and the WISDOM to go with it for those who spend time with Him.
God has so much He wants to give to us. In His hands, there's healing, ideas, revelations and explanations, etc., but just as I realized with my friend, if God gave us these things without us spending time with Him, we'd take Him for granted. Whether we realize this or not, the truth is many of us would not build a relationship with the Gift Giver. We'd just accept the gifts.
Today, I encourage you to restructure your daily agenda. Make room for a little quality time with God. Give Him 5-10 minutes today and increase it weekly. In getting to know the Creator of the world, you'll discover who you are, and receive limitless blessings He has in His hands for you!
Come be smitten by Him :)
Michelle Nicole
P.S. Remember,
*In His presence are presents!
*God doesn't just want to give you gifts, He wants to give you HIM.
*God has already promised to supply every need of yours (Phil. 4:19). Why are you taking so long to come and get them?! :)
*God's hands aren't the only hands full when in His presence. He knows that you're coming with concerns, questions, pain, etc., so in His presence, He empties your hands and fills them up with all that you need.
