KEY VERSE:
“ …how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
Matthew 7:11
A great culture in our church is generosity and when I got married, I experienced this culture significantly. As a couple, we were encouraged to setup a wedding gift list so everyone could contribute gifts towards our first home together. Amazingly, a great number of people signed up and when the gifts arrived, we received everything from spatulas to a television, bed frames to saucepans. It was a beautiful picture of each individual in the church bringing a gift to support a newly married couple. We use them all and are highly appreciative of each individual gift!
It should be one of our greatest desires for the church - the bride of Christ - to be as strong as possible and I believe this comes when each saint serves the bride with their God-given gifts. We are encouraged in Matthew 7:7-11 to ask, seek and knock with promises that we will receive, find and the door will be opened. In 1 Corinthians 12 (which is all about Spiritual gifts) we are told in verse seven that gifts are given for the common good and, in verse 31, that we should, “Eagerly desire the greater gifts.” With this in mind today, I believe we should be asking the Father for new gifts which will help us to strengthen the bride, standing on the promise that, “how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” He is, after all, the giver of good gifts.
One gift I believe I have been given is the ability to preach. I recognise it as a God-given gift because I have major trouble communicating to others outside of preaching! We should take great joy in the promise of God giving us good gifts as we know, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise” (1 Corinthians 1:27) and through us receiving God-given gifts, we can do far more than we could in our own strength. I love these two encouraging verses. Philippians 2:13 says, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” And Hebrews 13:21 says that He will, “equip you with all you need for doing his will”.
God promises to give us good gifts to complete all we need to do, so today, ask your Father in heaven for a new gift to help strengthen your serving of others and the church. Identify your God-given gifts and use them to their full potential for the “common good.”
TESTIMONY
SARAH MARSDEN
So, one day during lockdown I was reading the bible and all of a sudden, I got an urge to start speaking in tongues which I was quite anxious about and had never done before. I was excited that I had been given the gift of tongues which, since then, I have used most days. Also, since then I have been given the gifts of writing poetry and creating artistic designs which I have been using to encourage other people.
What has God said to you through today’s promise?