The Gift

A few months ago I was given a gift.  A book.  I had heard so many good things about this book that I could not wait to dive in.  But, life happens and it didn't quite happen that way.  See, I was reading another book (one that took entirely too long to finish ... I used to be a fast reader, honest I did!) and was in the middle of an AMAZING Bible Study (Beth Moore's Breaking Free - the revised version!) - and I am STILL trying to process the words to tell you about that one, but let me just say GO! Do that study and do it NOW!

No, really.  I'll wait.

Anyhoo ...

Where was I?  Oh yes...

So, life got in the way and I did not get to read it right away. But the other day I picked it up and thought "I have a few days before the next study starts, I have time..."  Little did I know.

The book is "One Thousand Gifts: A Dare To Live Fully Right Where You Are" by Ann Voskamp.  Within the first few pages I realized that THIS is not the kind of book that one can just skim through. THIS is a book to be read slowly, intentionally and with great purpose.  Every paragraph is a gift in and of itself. Her words lilt like music in a quiet room and take me to a place of complete worship in the presence of THE Gift.  Truly, she is redefining the word "thankful" for me.

And y'all, I am only in chapter three!

And this is the chapter where she begins her list.  A list of gifts ... a list of thanks.  And so, I will begin mine.

But, this morning, as I sit in my pajamas missing church because me sweet Sophie has herself a little "Bieber" (that would be fever!), I have begun diving into the Word looking for and studying the instances of His gifts.

And, oh, what a giver of Gifts He is!

There's no comparison between that death-dealing sin and this generous, life-giving gift. The verdict on that one sin was the death sentence; the verdict on the many sins that followed was this wonderful life sentence.  Romans 5:16 (Message)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23 (NIV)

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.   Ephesians 2:8 (NLT)

And then I came to James and read this:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.  James 1:17 (ESV)

And I realize that THAT is the real gift.  Not the things that we treasure here on earth - the things that wither and die, but the GIFT that does not change.  You see, HE is not in the light where the shadows move and change and cloud and color our perception of what we think we know.  No, He is not in the light ... He IS the light.  And the light is never changing.

He was, He is and He shall ever be.  

He is the I AM.

He is the answer to every need with a simple I AM ... you need a friend, He says I Am.  You need provision, He says I Am.  You need healing, he says I Am. You need love, OH, my friend, He says I Am.  And you need saving (don't we all?), you need salvation ... he says I Am.

He says I Am.

And He is.

Oh, my friend, HE IS!

And, in those two words, in His I AM, we find the truest gift of all.

We find HIM!

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!  2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV)

So, the very first gift on my list of one thousand (and maybe even more), is HIM ... the Great I AM!