The Gift We Want or the Gift We Need?

Each year on this day we celebrate by giving gifts to our children and to our loved ones.  We spend time picking out the right gift and wrapping it carefully so that special person will love our gift.  If we were honest we would admit that not every gift we gave was as loved as we had hoped and some will even be exchanged.  In the same way we are all given "gifts" throughout ALL of the year.  Only these "gifts" are not tangible or material.  Instead these "gifts" are often experiences, trials, tests, or blessings and they come from the Lord.  Sadly, many Christians choose to not even open these "gifts" because at first sight they aren't attractive.  There are no pretty bows or shiny paper.  These gifts are plain or sometimes even ugly to look at.  Because God's gifts don't seem attractive, we choose to open the "gifts" from the World that at first glance look shiny and pretty.  Unfortunately the world's gifts ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS are empty and lead to destruction. 

There are two women in Scripture that were given incredibly difficult and incredibly wonderful gifts from the Lord.  Both offered a song of praise and prayer to God after receiving their gift.  Hannah and Mary both offered God a beautiful song of praise as a result of their gifts.  It is interesting that both of these songs (Hannah in 1 Sam. 2:1-10 and Mary in Luke 1:46-56) are very similar.  Mary must have known the OT Scriptures very well. 

After they each open their song in praise, there are 3 distinct parts that is common in both of their songs.  First, they Experienced God (Luke 1:48 and 1 Sam. 2:1)  Mary truly experienced God because she gave birth to him and Hannah experienced the hand of God through the gift of Samuel.  Secondly they both Recognized God (Luke 1:49-54 and 1 Sam. 2:2-9).  They both saw God for who He was and they recognized that He is the ALMIGHTY.  They recognized that He helps the 1. Humble, the 2. Hungry, and the 3. Helpless.  I think those 3 categories just about cover us all!! Finally they Remembered God's Promises (Luke 1:55 and 1 Sam. 2:10).  They both remembered what God had done for them and Hannah even prophesied of the of the coming Messiah!  These 3 things were the result of the gift they received from God!  What if they had said NO?! What if Mary had told the angel that this gift was too frightening for her and she didn't want it?! What if Hannah had not done the difficult thing with her gift, Samuel, and kept him instead of giving him to the Lord?! 

Had Hannah and Mary not received their "gifts" from the Lord, they would have missed their EXPERIENCE WITH GOD, they would never have RECOGNIZED GOD for who He is, and they would have never been REMINDED OF GOD'S PROMISES!!!!!! 

What gift is God trying to give you? Is it the gift of a trial, or an illness, or a blessing, or even an experience? Don't reject His gift because it may not be the most attractive!!! Accept it with open arms and surrender to His plan even if is difficult.  If you choose the sparkling gift all wrapped up by the world, you will find it's pretty on the outside but it will leave you with nothing but emptiness.  If you choose the gift God is giving you, you will find that you EXPERIENCE GOD, RECOGNIZE GOD , and you are REMINDED OF HIS PROMISES.