2 Corinthians 9:14-15 “And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” 

There is a saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” but gotta admit, receiving a gift has its merits. Gifts say, “You are special.” A useful gift requires forethought on the part of the giver and demonstrates a personal relationship with the recipient. And gifts come wrapped in beautiful packages. Truly, what’s not to love?

Unless……  the gift is never unwrapped.

Our family hosted a foreign exchange student who came home from an event one evening with a beautifully wrapped gift. It had shiny paper and a big bow with lots of curly ribbon. He had never received a wrapped present before, and his excitement was evident although he struggled to understand what he had done to deserve it. Assuming he would open it in his room, we forgot about the gift until weeks later when we spied it still wrapped and sitting on his bookshelf. We inquired as to why he had never opened his gift and his puzzled expression told us he did not understand. It seems he thought the gift WAS the beautifully wrapped box. He was totally unaware a treasure lay inside. We explained the gift was INSIDE the box. His opening it revealed something he needed and could have been using had he only unwrapped it.

So it is with our Heavenly Father. God bestows upon us many beautiful gifts. One is His gift of grace. Our sin separates us from God. It is His grace that draws us back to Him. We, too, struggle to see how we deserve it. But like a gift that sits on a shelf, God’s grace can remain undiscovered. It is only when we open the gift, we discover the essence of a God whose love defies comprehension.

God’s grace is never earned nor deserved. It is a gift. His grace surpasses our sins. It saves us, frees us from our lost state, and brings us back into His loving presence. And dear friend, that is a gift too wonderful for words.

Father God, may we never place your gift of grace on the shelf.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane