Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Presence vs. Presents

Have you ever known someone to like you only for what you can do for them? When I was a child, there was an older lady in my town who always gave me coins. Every time we went to the bank on main street, she was usually making a deposit for her family business. When I saw her, she would pull out her purse and offer me a silver dollar. After a few trips, I quickly figured out the routine. So I began to look for her several times a week so I could get my coin and put it in my piggy bank. I didn't really care for her conversations, but I wanted that coin!

Proverbs 3:6 says, "In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct and make straight and plain your path." To acknowledge God means to submit all our plans to Him to work out according to His will and desire for us. And what He wants is for us to come to know Him in the power of His resurrection and to behold Him in all His and glory.

When my husband travels, we always look forward to him coming home and there is grand excitement in the air. But if we just wanted to see what gift he brought us, he might be disappointed, hurt or offended.

The Bible teaches that a child should be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, promising if he is trained in the way he should go, he will not depart from it in Proverbs 22:6. God is training us up, His children, in the way we should go--not the way we want to go, but the way we should go.

When we seek God's face and His presence (not his presents), His hand is always open to us.

1 comment:

Jennifer said...

Good Morning!
I absolutely love this post!
My husband travels a lot too for work and with infant twins, it is hard! Him coming home from a trip is the best present that he could share with us :) I hope that you received my award for you!