Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Whispers: A Devotion from 1Corinthians 1:3 NKJV

A Specific Gift

Everyone loves receiving gifts, right? There are some ladies that like chocolate, flowers, clothes or jewelry, and guys that like gift cards to Home Depot, computer stores, or a car shop. Even if you do give a gift card, which is a more general gift, it still goes specifically to someone that enjoys what that store has to offer, right? The gift goes to someone that you know.

Have you ever been somewhere where you find out that someone is going to win a prize? The announcer may hype the situation up and get you all excited, but then you find out that you have to buy a raffle ticket… so you run and buy one. Then you find out that you need tickets that are between specific numbers and yours isn’t one of them… so you run out and buy some more tickets. Then you find out that there is only one prize for one specific ticket and yours is… the one!

The Apostle Paul doesn’t sell raffle tickets but he does talk about specific gifts and begins his first letter to the Corinthians by getting specific very quickly. He says, “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours;” – 1Corinthians 1:2

Paul is not just speaking to a church, but also to those that have made professions of faith in Christ Jesus; and, not just to those who have made professions of faith, but specifically to those who have relationships with Jesus, walking hand-in-hand with Him. The next verse has a gift specifically for these people; a gift beyond what money can buy and any person can provide.

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

God wants to give His gifts to everyone, but we can only receive certain, specific gifts when we are walking with Him intimately on that path that leads to eternal life… hand-in-HAND.

I pray today you are allowing God to hold your hand in His, so that you too can not only receive the gift of grace, but also His specific gift of peace.

May God’s grace and peace be with you today, tomorrow and forever.

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