What Has God Given You?

(THE KIMBERLY JOY SHOW: What Has God Given You?)

WHAT HAS GOD GIVEN YOU?
First, God has given you what He has given all of us…..LIFE!
As I shared in the previous article “A Heart To Give,” God first formed man from the dust of the ground, breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and then suddenly man came alive! That man He named Adam. However, God didn’t stop there. When we read the first two chapters of Genesis, we see where God also gave Adam dominion over the earth and over all the animals. He was even given authority to name each animal. Although Adam had been granted much authority and was surrounded by various living creatures, God recognized that he was still alone. So later in the second chapter, God gave Adam the gift of a help meet who was just right for him. In other words, God gave Adam his wife whom He named Eve.

II Corinthians 9:7 tells us that God loves a cheerful giver. Basically, when we give we should do so freely and willingly because that’s how God gives to us. God loves blessing His children! Again, consider Adam and Eve. God hooked them up! They were given power and lived as little gods here on earth. Unfortunately, they did what many people do by taking God’s gifts for granted. Instead of appreciating all the blessings God had given them, they allowed the serpent, who was being used by Satan, to convince them that God was somehow cheating or depriving them. Even though they had an abundance of trees and fruits to enjoy, they believed the lie that they still needed to eat from the one tree God told them to leave alone, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Consequently, they forfeited their gifts. For instance, they no longer had authority over the earth and over all living creatures. They no longer had the luxury of living forever. Moreover, they lost the closeness they had with God.

According to Genesis 3:8-10, after Adam and Eve messed up, they tried to hide from God. Because of their disobedience, they were too ashamed to face Him. They weren’t comfortable with the thought of approaching Him. Their relationship with God was now different, and their lives were never going to be the same. Isaiah 59:2 lets us know that sin separates an individual from God because God is holy. In other words, sin is the direct opposite of who God is! Although their choice to disobey God caused the rest of mankind to be born into sin, because God is loving, merciful, kind and gracious, He devised another plan.

WHAT IS GOD’S MOST IMPORTANT GIFT?
Of all the blessings or gifts God has given us, what is the most important gift? John 3:16, which is one of the most popular and significant scriptures in the Bible, answers that question. It says:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” (King James Version).

Because God has always loved us (the human race), He gave us His only begotten Son or His one and only Son Jesus so we would have a chance at eternal life. Therefore, those of us who have accepted God’s gift of salvation have Heaven to look forward to.

As a parent, can you imagine offering your only son or your only child in order to save the lives of everyone else? And the people you desire to save don’t even appreciate you? Can you imagine that? Well, God gave the gift of His Son for people who were and still are liars, cheaters, thieves, murderers, adulterers, fornicators and idol worshipers. He offered this precious gift to people who don’t even honor Him. I think about the times throughout the Old Testament when God’s people, those He called His chosen people, would turn their backs on Him. Nevertheless, He was still willing to stick to His plan and send His ONLY Son. In fact, throughout the Old Testament there are various prophecies about the coming Messiah or the Anointed One who is none other than Jesus. This is what the prophet Isaiah said about Him in Isaiah 7:14 (KJV):

“Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us.’).”

This prophecy indeed came to past. In the first chapter of the book of Luke, the angel Gabriel visited Mary, who was still a virgin at the time, and informed her that she would conceive and give birth to a son. However, this child would not come from the seed of a man, but by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Then in chapter two, she gave birth to Jesus. So, again God willingly and freely gave His Son Jesus so that we each would have the opportunity to be set free from our sins, to be reconnected with God Himself, and to gain eternal life!

HAVE YOU RECEIVED GOD’S GIFT OF SALVATION?
Have you received God’s gift of salvation? If not, I encourage you to do so! When you do, you will be given a new life…..a life in God!
And there’s nothing like it because God has many more gifts to give you! For example, God offers His gift of love which holds you, protects you and assures you that you’re not alone.

He also offers His gift of peace which brings you a calmness that the average person can’t fathom. God even has His gift of joy which causes you to smile when nothing special has happened and makes you laugh when no one has told a joke.

If you have already received God’s gift of salvation, then I encourage you to continue honoring God for who He is by living a life that pleases Him. Then in DUE TIME, He will give you every blessing or gift He has in store for you!

THE PRAYER OF SALVATION
If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you can do so right now. I then encourage you to find a good Bible-believing church that will help you grow in your relationship with the Lord.