A GIFT IS NOT A GIFT UNTIL IT HAS BEEN RECEIVED

SCRIPTURE:
Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.  
(2 Corinthians 9:15)

MEDITATION:
How do you feel about gifts?
Do you find more pleasure in giving or receiving gifts?
Does it disappoint you when a recipient of your gift doesn’t seem 
appreciative, or even worse, re-gifts it to someone else?

Of course, a gift is not a gift unless it is accepted. 
God has given us His Son as a gift, 
but ownership is conditional on our acceptance. 
God does not force His gift on us, 
but He asks us to receive by faith the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Most people gratefully receive a gift when given in love. 
The greatest sin that a person can commit is to refuse God’s love gift.

A person who deliberately refuses God’s offer of love, mercy, 
and forgiveness is lost.
A lost person has no place reserved in heaven, 
where he or she can enjoy eternity. 
It is amazing when we hear how many refuse to believe there is a God, 
which means they are not interested in anything about Him, 
including His gift.

Many claim that the Bible is fiction 
and those who believe it are uneducated.
Here is the question everyone should consider:
“Would you prefer to reach the end of life believing there is a God and 
find out He doesn’t exist, or believing there isn’t a God and finding out 
that He does exist?”
In the latter choice, it is too late to accept God’s love gift to mankind.

ACTION:
Where are you regarding the gift of love from God?
Have you received His gift, or are you going through life 
with your own ideas of what eternity will be like?

The angels of God and the agents of Satan 
are roaming the earth with opposing purposes.
One group wants you to enjoy life after death, 
while the other wants you to spend eternity in pain and agony, 
separated from the God Who offered you His gift of love.

If you choose not to make a choice, then you have made your choice.
No choice means you have not accepted God’s gift 
and as a result you have no ownership of any place in His kingdom.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your gift of love to mankind. If I have 
not received Your gift for me, then I am choosing to accept it now. I am 
reaching out now for Your gift of Jesus, and thankful for Your forgiveness 
of my sins and Your promise of eternal life. Help me to become Your servant 
and to spend much time reading Your Word and worshipping You with other 
believers. Show me how You want me to contribute to Your earthly ministry. 
Thank You, Jesus, for voluntarily becoming God’s gift of love to me. Thank 
You for covering my sins with Your blood so that I can appear clean before 
our Heavenly Father.”