But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Matthew 6:33 HCSB
I was a surprise. You see my sisters were nearing their teen years when everyone thought that my mom had the flu, but it was just me. This meant that for most of my years growing up, I had my parents to myself. My dad was self-employed which meant that often times I could tag along to work with him. With me being the only child at home, this also meant that I tended to get what I asked for, within reason of course. I remember a time when I was maybe 6 or 7 years old that my dad decided to go to work in a chemical plant. This meant that he left for work before I got up in the morning and didn’t get home before I went to bed. This wasn’t working for me because I missed seeing my dad. At this point, it wasn’t about the gifts I was missing the presence of the giver. I expressed my displeasure about this new job and work schedule. I was happy when my dad announced that he would be quitting this job and going into the dairy business. This meant that he would be working at home and you guessed it, more time for me.
Our heavenly Father gives us good gifts. We are told in James 1:17 that every good gift comes from above. We should always be thankful for these good gifts. But we should be wholeheartedly seeking the giver. We should crave God’s presence in a way that makes us thirst for Him. Psalm 42:1 says that as a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, God.
As a little girl, I loved the gifts I received. But more than that, I wanted to be around my dad. I wanted to spend time with him. I wanted to be like him. Our heavenly father wants the same. He wants us to be imitators of Him (Ephesians 5:1). He wants good things for us (Jeremiah 29:11). He wants to work all things out for our good (Romans 8:28). But He wants us to want Him more than the gifts he provides for us.
God gave us the greatest gift that anyone could ever ask for. He gave us His son to die so that we might have eternal life (John 3:16). He gives us protection (Psalm 91). He fights our battles (Chronicles 20). He offers all these things, but we must first believe in Him. We must accept Christ as our savior. God doesn’t force these gifts on us, but they are there for the taking if we wholeheartedly seek Him first.
If you are praying for things and your prayers seem to go unanswered, I have a question for you. Are you seeking the giver more than the gift? Have you come to that point in your life where you just praise God’s presence knowing that this is the only thing we truly need? Have you begun to live out our scripture passage for today?
If you have ever lived without Christ’s presence in your life, then you may have learned to crave it more than anything. I know I have. I have learned the hard way that what I really need in my life is Jesus. Once I have Christ in my life, He will handle what comes my way. He will provide all that I need and is even gracious enough to give me some of my wants.
No one has given us a greater gift than God, but we must first focus on the giver. Then we will be blessed with all the wondrous gifts He has to offer.
Have a great day!