“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Luke 11:13, NASB)
Golf fans around the world will be watching the Presidents Cup this weekend in Australia where 12 of the best United States professionals will compete against a dozen top international players. It is not as intense as the Ryder Cup, but it still comes with a lot of pressure-packed moments for the players competing for their country.
These events often come down to which team makes the most putts, and nobody wants to miss a short putt that might cost your team a point in the matches.
As you probably are familiar, in match play players may concede shots to their opponents. We often refer to this as “giving putts.” With so much on the line in these international competitions, I find it interesting how some players can be a good bit more generous than others in what length they concede. We often see a little tension surface between playing competitors when short putts are not given, as there is a level of entitlement players have about receiving gimmes.
We probably spoil our children a little too much, but we love seeing their joy as they receive their gifts.This time of year, we often see children with this same kind of attitude about receiving gifts for Christmas. My boys are not at all worried about not getting anything from Santa in a couple of weeks; they just do not know for sure what from their list they will get. We probably spoil our children a little too much, but we love seeing their joy as they receive their gifts. I know I used to have that same excitement at gift time, but over the years the excitement of receiving gifts diminishes and is replaced by the enjoyment of giving.
I assume this is the case for most of us. Yes, it is a sign of maturity in many aspects of life, but not for our spirit. God wants us to remain childlike in our faith. He desires for us to know him as Abba Father, a term of endearment like Daddy. Children expect good gifts from their parents, and as children of God, we should expect the greatest of gifts from our heavenly Father. However, we must recognize that God’s gifts are not material in nature.
In today’s verse, we see that God loves to give gifts. First, it is important to recognize the type of gifts God gives. He gives spiritual gifts. God gives us himself. He gives us more of the Holy Spirit. Second, he wants us to ask for them. He wants us to sit on his lap and tell him what we want.
So, what are you asking God for this Christmas? Love? Joy? Peace? Patience? Kindness? Goodness? Faithfulness? Gentleness? Self-control?
Ask him. He cannot wait to give it to you.
—
Josh Nelson
December 11, 2019
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.