Unopened Gifts

Do you remember the excitement and hope-filled expectations of your childhood birthdays and Christmases? How about Easter and Halloween?

These special days created delightful anticipation for us as children because of the promise of gifts and surprises.

Whether it was holiday-wrapped presents under the tree, a candle-topped cake for wishing and blowing surrounded by gifts to be opened, surprise goodies to be discovered in hidden baskets, or sweet treats to be collected in hand-decorated brown paper bags as we walked house to house throughout the neighborhood. It didn’t matter, all were exciting – thrilling even, because gifts were involved.

At what point did our enthusiasm for receiving gifts begin to wane? I don’t mean we stopped appreciating and enjoying the act of being remembered and receiving a special token of love and appreciation. But the thrill is gone – childhood excitement has evaporated.

Years ago, I heard a pastor use this illustration:

A man died and upon his arrival in heaven, he was met by Jesus. Jesus welcomed the man and took him by the arm leading him through the streets of Heaven, pointing out amazing sights as they walked. Then He led the man to an enormous warehouse situated on a side street.

After entering the building and twisting their way down a long and winding corridor lined with many doors, Jesus stopped. He opened a large door, and they stepped inside.  

Once inside the man was shocked by the size of the room. He would have sworn that this one room was as large as the entire warehouse, but that couldn’t be because they had passed many, many doors in the hallway and this room had only one doorway.

Lining the four walls were floor-to-ceiling shelves. Free-standing shelves stood in rows, filling the interior of the room, and creating narrow walkways between the shelves and the exterior of the shelf-lined walls.

Every shelf was filled with beautifully wrapped gifts. The man was overwhelmed by the sparkling packages of all shapes and sizes. There were only a few noticeable gaps on the shelves where gifts once sat.

The man turned to Jesus, “LORD, this is awesome and amazing! Are these all awards and prizes waiting to be given to those who live well and finish the race faithfully?”

With a sad smile, Jesus said, “No, child. The presents that you see were blessings, gifts, and graces intended for you during your life on earth.

Blessings that would have brought you great joy, contentment, and peace, but you never asked for them. You chose instead to run after the temporary pleasures of the world that never brought you the satisfaction, joy, contentment, and peace that you craved.

Gifts that would have equipped you for fruitful service for My Kingdom, but you did not have a heart for My Kingdom or its service.

Graces with which you could have blessed others, but you were focused on yourself, your desires, your fears, and your own needs. You lived only for yourself without giving thought to those who needed to hear about me, who needed to be encouraged in their walk, and who needed comfort in their sorrow.”

The man bowed his head in shame and embarrassment. Jesus took the man by the arm and led him out of the room, closing the door behind Him. As the man looked back, the door faded away and the wall where the door had stood seemed to shrink away pulling the doors on either side closer together. The room of unopened gifts was forever gone.

And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it.

Numbers 33:53

I was reminded of this story over the past month while reading through the books of Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Joshua. God repeatedly reminds Israel, His Chosen People, that He had given them victory over their enemies, He had given them the Promised Land, and He had a life of blessing and plenty ready and waiting for them in the Promised Land. All they had to do was faithfully trust God, live in obedience to Him, and love the LORD with their whole heart. Victory would be theirs.

And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.”

Joshua 10:8

The gifts were wrapped and waiting to be handed out, and some were. The Israelites celebrated many victories, but as time went on, sin and disobedience crept in, and battles were lost. Battles that should have been fought, were not.

God told His people to purge The Promised Land of the wicked and idolatrous people groups that were enemies of God’s people. But gifts of victory left unclaimed and unopened allowed God’s enemies to remain in the land, where they seduced Israel drawing them into sin and rebellion against God.

Blessings and plenty were intended for God’s people but instead were withheld because of disobedience, sin, and idolatry. Gifts left unopened.

(For more information see: Num 20:12, 21:34, 27:12, 32:7, 9, 33:53; Deut 3:2, 18, 8:10, 12:1, 25:19; Josh 1:3, 2:24, 6:1, 16, 8:1, 10:8; Judg 1:27-36, 2:1-15)

These are the statutes and rules that you shall be careful to do in the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth.

Deuteronomy 12:1

The writers of the Gospels and the other New Testament books have much to say about the many gifts that God has prepared for His Children. Here are key gifts that God wants to give us:

– Gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ our LORD – the gifts of God’s love, grace, mercy, justification, and redemption (John 3:16, Romans 3:23-23, 6:23; Acts 2:38, Ephesians 2:8, 3:7, 4:7; 1 John 3:1)

– Gift of God’s Indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 10:45, Romans 5:5, 1 John 3:24, 4:13)

– Gift of Sanctification and Righteousness (Romans 5:17)

– Gift of Unique Equipping for Service – You are gifted specifically, lacking in nothing as you serve and await the return of Christ (Romans 11:29, 12:6; 1 Corinthians 1:7, 7:7; 1 Peter 4:10)

– Gift of Blessings (Matthew 7:11, Luke 11:13, James 1:17)

– Gift Of Understanding (1 Corinthians 2:12, 1 John 5:20)

Amazing gifts are available to all who come to Jesus confessing and repenting of their sins, and who in sincere faith believe and profess that Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection have paid the penalty for their sins. (Romans 10:9-10)

With the first two gifts listed above, our role is submission and acceptance – God does everything else. The last four gifts are greatly dependent on us and the condition of our hearts.  

Joshua asked the Israelites “How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?” (Joshua 18:3)

Joshua was asking, “How long before you take the gift that God has waiting for you?”

That’s a question we must ask ourselves, “How long before I claim what God has for me?”

How long before I surrender myself to my Lord?

How long before I reject any worldly idols that have taken up residency in my heart?

How long before I give up any passion that distracts and draws me away from my God?

How long before I sincerely, humbly, and rightly ask God for the full portion of every good and perfect thing that He desires to give me, make of me, or use me?

How long?

The Apostle James in his letter to the Jewish Christians tells them why they are not experiencing the fullness of God and His gifts. And he gives them the remedy. To paraphrase the Apostle James:

You desire and you don’t have. You don’t have because you don’t ask. When you do ask, you don’t receive because you’re asking all wrong. You’re asking for things to satisfy your worldly passions.

You’re being unfaithful to your God! Don’t you know that if you are a friend of the world, you are an enemy of God? If you want to be accepted and loved by the world, know that you’ve made God your enemy.

Don’t you understand? Our God is a jealous God – He will not share our hearts or our love with another god. He wants all of us – He wants our whole, undivided hearts. But God will extend His grace to us if we humbly submit ourselves to Him.

Stand firm in God’s truth, say “no” to the devil and he will run away from you.

Draw as close to God as you possibly can, and He will surround you with His presence.  

Wash your hands of the sins, habits, and passions that stand between you and a right relationship with God. Confess, repent, and ask God for forgiveness. Allow the Holy Spirit to do His cleansing and purifying work in you.

(James 4:2-8 paraphrased)

Leave no gift on the shelf or unopened. Experience all that God has for you. Be all that God intends to make of you.

How long before you once again experience the child-like excitement about God’s gifts that are coming your way? How about now?

 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