Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Giving to the Giver of Life


“Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Riches and honor come from you, and you rule overall. In your hand are power and might; and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all. And now, our God, we give thanks to you and praise your glorious name.”
— 1 Chronicles 29:11-13 (NRSV)
King David, at this time, was especially thankful to the Lord his God, for the wisdom provided and provision given toward the building of the Temple; a solemn task for his son Solomon alone to undertake.
David honours the Lord for the fact that God is the Giver of Life—including all things within life. Nothing we have or have ever had or will ever have comes by any other hand. For everything we have received, and for many things we haven’t received, we can thank God.
This reminds me of the song God gave me, God, the Giver of Life, on the morning of January 6, 2013. Here is its chorus:
He gives me wisdom and love,
Power and meaning,
To live every day of my life.
He’s my Majesty of being,
My Power for seeing,
The Lord, the Giver of Life.
The truest, most faithful gift that can be given by God is, ironically, our own will to give, for in giving we are blessed so much more abundantly than if we had received, alone.
This is consistent with the facts of spiritual living; the phenomena known to peace for having let go. And when we let go of that which was never ours to begin with (we as mere stewards and custodians) we gain God, as the Spirit shows us our wisdom in meeting Divine Wisdom: obedience to the will of God.
The Privilege and Blessing of Giving
These concepts are upside down concepts. Generally all spiritual concepts are upside down in comparison to worldly concepts; those which are most commonly known.
True blessing comes but only via true spirituality; to honour the invisible God, who has all Power and Wealth and Dominion and Glory throughout the whole earth. Meeting with the mind and heart of God is its own privilege and its very own dwelling within blessing.
The beauty within the privilege and blessing of giving is the miraculous nature of the Lord; the uniqueness of the blessing and the privilege felt is commanding. There is no other power like it.
***
What privilege and blessing it is to give back to the Giver of Life! For everything is from God’s hand, and for everything that can be given, in love, meets with God’s design and will. The more we give the more we notice how much God is giving, has given, and will give, to us.
© 2013 S. J. Wickham.

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