What Do You Do With a Gift? - Encouragement Café - August 13, 2015
What Do You Do With a Gift?
Café Menu for Thursday, August 13, 2015
Today’s Special is: Use It!
Carefully prepared just for you by your friend, Jill Beran
Main Ingredient:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
Ephesians 2:8 NIV
Entrée:
Car accidents, cancer, death it’s all been a part of my week. A cousin and fellow college graduate passing from this life into the next. One leaving a husband and three children, the other entering heaven with two of his kids while his wife and youngest try to cope.
Hard stuff that leaves me hurting. Sad times that bring tears. Things I don’t understand that could leave me angry and confused.
There was much on my mind as I considered writing a devotional about being faithful in the storms. Friend, I don’t have to reflect back, I’m in the midst of one right now and honestly, I wanted to avoid penning these words. But God… God said otherwise.
As I cried out to Him, “Lord, how… how do I remain faithful in this storm? In any storm, because I know others will come.” After I spoke to Him, the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart, “Remember what faith is.”
Friend, three powerful words came to mind; the three that close our key verse today – faith is a gift of God. As I thought about this, I recalled a few truths about gifts. You and I, we have to receive them and then we have to use them.
My daughter’s closet is full of gifts she has received but not yet used for one reason or another. Some don’t fit yet, others are crafts she’s not sure how to put together and some are projects she hasn’t taken time to complete.
In a similar way, we can be tempted to put God’s gift on shelf as well. Sometimes, it’s just easier to do our own thing. When life is hard, we can be tempted to doubt; and when we’re busy, we can forget we’ve even been given the gift.
I’m so grateful to be reminded of what faith is… a gift from our heavenly Father who is faithful! Now to remember to use the gift I’ve been given!
Take Out:
Faith is a gift from God, but He’s more than a gift Giver – He is a heavenly Father who longs for a relationship with us. Prayer is the way we build our relationship and communicate with Him. Take a moment now to pray and ask God to help you use your faith.
One specific way we can use this discipline to strengthen our faith, is to take a lesson from the father of a sick boy. In Mark 9:24, he says,
I believe, help my unbelief!
Friend, if you’re struggling or find yourself in the midst of a storm, ask Jesus to help – He will!
Dessert:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Lord, You are faithful. Help me be full of faith. Sometimes life is hard and storms rage. When lightening strikes and rain falls, help me remember the gift You’ve given. Thank You for faith, may I cling to it when storms threaten to knock me down. And if things are really bad, help me remember I can ask others to pray and use their faith on my behalf. Father, God thank You for Your Truth, may I seek it and live it in the days to come. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
© 2015 by Jill Beran. All rights reserved.
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