A Gift from God, Christian

Mar.22.07: Light for the Day - "A Gift from God" (<<) (>>)

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("Pray To Receive Christ")

-- John 3:16 + For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but He does what is still more wonderful: He makes saints out of sinners. -- Kierkegaard

There are a lot of wonderful things on this earth that God has given us to enjoy. We live in a beautiful world full of glorious trees, breath-taking mountains, immense oceans, fabulous sunsets, and on and on. Nature is splendid. Bright, sunny mornings with the birds singing and the dew sparkling on the grass are truly a gift of God. It is when we look at the world through the eyes of God that we come to appreciate just how special it is.

Real wisdom is the knowledge of God and all His handiworks. We have been given life so that we may enjoy it. It is a gift from God. When we pursue God, and a deeper knowledge of His will, we are seeking a deeper understanding of all creation. There is nothing greater that anyone can desire than to see this world of ours through the eyes of the Creator. In God's creation we can catch glimpses of God Himself. In prayer we need to remember to ask God to help us become wise as He is wise, and in so doing we will see beauty like we never knew it existed before, and we will appreciate life in a new and full way.

PRAYER: 0 Lord, I want to learn to enjoy life as fully as I can. Open my eyes to see anew, with the eyes of your divine Love. Through your wisdom I can hope to come to know the fullness of life and beauty of your creation. I praise you in your greatness, O Father. Amen.

-- D.N.D.

"A Thanksgiving Prayer"

Dear Father in Heaven
Please lend me Your ear,
'Cause I've got a prayer
You'll be happy to hear.

Lord, there's no request list
This time when I pray,
I just want to give thanks
This Thanksgiving Day.

First, I want to thank You
For gifts from above:
Your unending mercy,
Your undeserved love.

And thank You for sending
Your Son down to earth,
For now those in Jesus
Can have second birth.

Lord, thank You for saving
Your children from Hell,
And giving Your Spirit
Who comes to indwell.

And thank You for choosing me
To be Your own,
For now that You're in me
I'm never alone.

Lord, thanks for forgiving me
When I'm untrue,
And last, but not least, Father,
Thank You for You!

-- Connie

---- "Gift of God" ----

-- James 1:17-18 + 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the Word of Truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created.

-- Ephesians 2:8-10 + 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

-- Romans 6:23 + For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

-- Romans 11:29 + For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

-- 1 Corinthians 13:13;14:1,12 + 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. 12 So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.

-- 1 Corinthians 12:27-28 + 27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:
first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.

-- 1 Peter 4:10 + Each one should use whatever spiritual gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God‘s grace in its various forms.

-- Romans 12:12 + Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

-- Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 + 18 At last I have seen what is good and beautiful: It is to eat and drink and to enjoy the good in all our hard work under the sun during the brief lives God gives us. That is our lot in life. 19 It is a gift from God when God gives some people wealth and possessions, the power to enjoy them, the ability to accept their lot in life, and the ability to rejoice in their own hard work. 20 These people won’t give much thought to their brief lives because God keeps them occupied with the joy in their hearts.

-- Ecclesastes 3:12-15 + 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil -- this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere Him. 15 Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.

---- "God, the Creator" ----

-- John 1:1-5 + 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He (Jesus Christ) was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

- Genesis 1:1,31; 2:1-3,7
+ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. ...... 31 Then God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.

+ 2:1 So the creation of the Heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. 2 On the seventh day God had finished His work of creation, so He rested from all His work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when He rested from all His work of creation. +++ 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

-- Psalms 51:10 + Create in me a pure Heart, O God, and renew a loyal spirit within me.

-- Psalms 148:4-5 + 4 Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created.

-- Isaiah 40:28 + Don’t you know? Haven’t you Heard? the eternal God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn’t grow tired or become weary. His understanding is beyond reach.

God's first creature, which was light. -- Francis Bacon