II Kings 5:20‑27 (20)
I was an only child so it was always a treat to have visitors. This evening my cousins came to visit. What made it even more special was that they brought some toys among which was a new football. I did not have a football. I loved the game. Toys were soon scattered everywhere. At one point I saw the football roll under my parent’s bed. A plan was conceived. When it came time for my cousins to leave they began to gather their toys. Everything was found except the football. We looked everywhere. Finally the search was given up. My parents said that when we found the ball we would put it aside to return the next time we saw them.
For some reason I looked under my parent’s bed after my cousins left and there was the football! I told my parents what I found and to my chagrin they put it away so that it would not be lost again. I didn’t even get to play with the football! A terrible choice made by a little boy.
A deceptive spirit is always disappointing to those who have placed trust in you. A deceptive spirit is usually damaging to the potential of a relationship. Although we may fool our friends at times God is never fooled and judgment for sin is certain.
by Dr. Gayle Woods
John 3:16
No one can out give God. He began at Creation. There He gave mankind life. He gave all that was necessary to sustain human life. Beyond that He gave mankind a chance and a choice whereby humanity could have a great life enjoying an intimate relationship with God.
The human race failed to see the significance of the chance and the choice that was theirs for the taking. A few came to know God in a special way. In time God gave again. This time He gave His only begotten Son who came to die on a Cross so that once again mankind could know the offer of a chance and a choice. The offer is still available to all who will accept it. The offer extends a chance to those who will make a choice to enjoy a great life in Christ.
In addition to these tremendous gifts God gave mankind the Church. The Church is the sum total of those who have made a choice to enjoy an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Because of His sacrifice on the Cross forgiveness is available to any who will turn from sin and allow Him to be the Lord and Savior of their life.
But God continued to give. He gave the Church the Comforter. The Holy Spirit, known also as the Comforter is given to the Church so that all who have been forgiven of a sinful life and have rejected sinfulness to live for Christ can now know an abundant life. Once again God has given us a chance and a choice. This choice is to admit the corruption of the nature as a result of the original sin in the Garden, asking God to cleanse the nature while filling the void with the fullness of Himself. Life in the Spirit is known in full as the believer is made as God originally intended mankind.
No one can out give God. It is for us to receive. He only expects obedience and complete submission to His will in return.
Dr. Gayle Woods
