At church last Sunday I was given a book of sermons published in 1901. What a wonderful gift! I will read it and look for some gems in it, but more than that, I sense a message in the gift. Many years ago, I was taught that often God speaks to us through the gifts we are given, that we should pay close attention to them, particularly to those that may seem unusual.
The message to me is clear through this gift. The Lord is encouraging me in my preaching. As many of you know, pastoring is my second career. For many years I was in business and sometimes I feel inadequate as a preacher because of my lack of experience. But the Lord was encouraging me through this gift.
Over the past few weeks I have spoken about signs, that God speaks to us through signs. Sometimes the signs come with exclamation marks to get our attention, but sometimes the signs are so subtle, so insignificant, that we may miss them if we are not sensitive to the Spirit. For Elijah, it was only a small cloud in the distance that was a sign to him that the drought was ending and a downpour was coming. It was a small sign with a big message. Sometimes an old book can carry a big message!
Some of God’s greatest gifts to us, and messages to us, don’t come in packages that we easily recognize. This was true of Jesus. He came to the world in the most humble of circumstances, yet was the greatest gift of all.
Here’s a challenge for you this Christmas season. Take special note of the gifts you are given, and ask the Lord if there are messages in the gifts, particularly the ones that may be unusual.
