How God Views Our Gifts

Daily Devotions

David Maxson
06/10/15 - Daily Devotions

Reading for June 10th: Job 32-34
Weekly reading for June 7-13: 1 Corinthians 12-16

If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:3

Somewhere in Tuscaloosa this weekend a young man will pick up a young lady for a date. He'll give her flowers, get the door for her, take her to a restaurant, and then a movie. The young lady will appreciate and enjoy all of this.

But later he will pressure her to do something she doesn't want to do and she won't appreciate this at all. In fact, she'll refuse to go out with him ever again.

He'll be confused. He'll think, "Did I not spend a lot of money on her? Flowers, dinner, movie?"

What he won't understand is that the reason she didn't appreciate these gifts is because she knows that none of that was really for her. It was for him.

The same is true of our relationship with God. God isn't just looking at the gifts we bring him, but why we bring those gifts. Are we bringing them for him or are they more about us?

Father God, forgive us for thinking that we can manipulate you to get what we want. Purify our hearts. Help us to seek you, not for what we can get, but because we simply want a relationship with you.