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James 1:17 says, "every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variation or shadow of turning."
One-day God spoke in my heart that he gives good gifts in the midst of the bad. Many times we look at trials as bad when God sees something good that can come from it. What Satan means for evil...God will turn for our good and He will receive the glory!
Romans 8:28 says all things work together for good to them that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.
Did you ever receive a gift that you didn't like, however; you didn't say anything that may hurt their feelings and graciously accepted it? After all, the saying goes, it's the thought that counts, right?
I am reminded of a gift that my son chose for me. He said when he saw it, he thought of buying it for his mom. Why? I still haven't figured that out. I graciously accepted it and thought to myself...what was he thinking? Many times I have looked at it and wondered what was it about this pretty large stuffed female white gorilla with a red bow in her hair that brought thoughts of me to my son? Really?
Another gift that my husband received years ago was an alarm clock from his mother for Christmas. It was an 18 wheeler truck that revs up and says loudly, "Wake up! Wake Up! Again my husband graciously accepted it but...how would you like to wake up every morning to this? What was she thinking?
My husband bought me a little pillow when we were dating for my birthday. It says, "You were born for me." We were born for each other. When God saw my husband, he thought of me. When he saw me, he thought of Fred.
Did you know your husband or wife is God's gift to you? So...what was God thinking?
Now, believe me Fred and I are totally opposite in personality, temperament, likes and dislikes. He loves races, football games, and wrestling. I am not sports minded in any way. But God already knew about our differences and saw how He could use them.
I was born the first of the month. When I was a little girl, I used to tell my mother that I was the gift of the month. Joking with me, she would call me the booby prize.
When God began healing my heart of rejection, one day I decided to look up booby prize. Booby means a stupid person; dunce. A booby prize is a mock award for the worst performance. I realized this was how I saw myself. My mother didn't mean it in a bad way but this word had taken hold of my spirit. As God began to root out rejection and fear he revealed pain in my heart that was holding me captive from experiencing the abundant life that He had for me.
So, the question is...how do you see yourselves and your spouse? God's gift to each other or the booby prize?
I am convinced when people are hurting, they hurt each other.
When Fred and I married, we brought in a lot of baggage from our past. Both of us had been divorced and had deep pain hidden inside our hearts that was covered up by anger, fear and rejection. One day the Lord gave me a vision. I saw Jesus holding a lamb in His arms that was bleeding from being battered. God spoke in my heart that Fred and I were His crushed lambs and He was going to heal both of us.
We were about to embark on a journey that would lead to God's love walk in our marriage.
Proverbs 27:17 says, as iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. (to show rage or worthy purpose) amp.
In other words, we have a choice to grow up in the Lord and develop His character or remain victims of the enemy and continue as crushed lambs.
One day as I was spending time in the Lord's presence, I had a vision. I saw Jesus stooped over a big chest throwing out things that he didn't want in it. It reminded me of how we begin our spring cleaning discarding items that we no longer use or wear in drawers and closets.
Jesus wasn't placing them down gently...He was pitching them as though they were garbage.
He spoke this in my spirit. Your marriage is my treasure chest. I place in you and Fred the riches of my glory. I have designed all marriages to be my treasure chest. In order for my glory to shine, I must remove all of the dross. As the dross is removed, more healing will come and more of my power will be evident. You will now see daily what I am removing in you and Fred. I do not remove without replacements so look at these times as gaining gifts from me. Do not look at what I am removing but what blessings are coming.
When I think of Valentine's Day, I envision flowers, candy, romantic cards and possibly a dinner for two without the children. However, we can't think of Valentine's Day without the word Love.
So...I sat down and wrote 'Love' and thought about the power of Love. One day the Lord spoke in my heart about His submission. God isn't just a God of love...He is love. He showed me that when a wife comes before Him she is in the presence of love. She then carries that love to her husband. When a husband comes before God he is also in the presence of love and carries that back to his wife.
Everyone on this earth is looking for that perfect love but the real truth of this is we as human beings do not love with a perfect love. So...where do we experience this perfect love? We know that hurting people hurt people and if we are honest with ourselves, we have all been hurt by others and we have also hurt other people. We may try to love each other but the truth of the matter is when hard challenges come in our health, finances, loss of loved ones, and disagreements in marriages, family and relationships they can all lead to fear, worry, anger, unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment. I've heard people say when they are in love...I've found the perfect one. Then they get married, and after the honeymoon is over and back to normal everyday-living sets in, they begin to see each other's imperfections they didn't see before. This doesn't mean they are bad people...it's just that they aren't perfect and neither are we. The question is: where do we find A perfect lover? Are you looking for love in all the wrong places?
Rev. 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door [of the church] and continually knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him (restore him), and he with Me.
This restoration isn't for the unbelievers but for His church.
Can you picture this? The Lord Jesus is standing at the door of His own church knocking on the door of our heart. He is seeking entrance for the purpose of renewed fellowship! He is not standing at the door of the unbeliever!
The question is: Will you open the door of your heart and have renewed sweet fellowship with Him? Will you make Him the Lord of your life?
If you have given your heart to Abba Father, you have the greatest gift that you could ever have. If you haven't given your heart to the Lord, you are missing out on the greatest gift you will ever receive on this earth. I'd like to encourage you to accept Jesus into your heart today. Your heart will be filled with the light of His love that overtakes the darkness of sin. He is waiting for you!! Will you give Him your heart today and make Him the Lord of your life? God loves you and so do we.
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Jenny Hagemeyer is the pastor at the Upper Room Worship Center Café Church in Belleville. She is an inspirational teacher and author of the "Touch Me " Bible study and "Lessons from Danny." You can listen to the messages for Sunday on Jenny's and the Upper Room's Facebook page or on Anchor podcast.