El-Elyon With Love (A Seemingly Unlikely Present) - Debbie Adefolalu

(Just like I promised, I have a special guest blogger in the house today! It's Debbie Adefolalu. I cannot deny it, this witing bug runs in the family...*smiling*. Debs is my sister and she speaks truth. Please read with your heart. Love you but God loves you way more! Merry 'Salti' Christmas People!)

Salt

Jesus Christ, THE Presents of all presents!

Centuries ago, the greatest gift ever was given to mankind- salvation, deliverance from the power of sin and the devil, anytime-anywhere-access to our Father (not just our God), a relationship (sweet fellowship) with our Friend and Counselor the Holy Spirit…(am I really trying to make a list??) What I’m trying to point at is that all I’ve mentioned here and a whole lot more came in the form of a man just like you and me. Maybe I’m making this more conceivable than it really is- this gift in fact came in the form of a BABY!

Ever hear the story of the son who was mad at his dad for giving him a “small box” for his birthday instead of the sports car he’d asked for? This young man, in rage, flung the box at his little brother saying, “Whatever you find in it is yours.” What was in the box? Car keys! Sometimes the best gifts come in small packages but we’re just too impatient to wait and find out what’s inside. We want the huge, shiny boxes the world will give us. But alas, those boxes are full of Styrofoam and a tiny music player with the song ‘Look upon thine folly’ ever on repeat. We begin to feel empty and appalled at our “chasing after the wind”.

Little Jesus was no super hero. He didn’t have a ‘bat mobile’ or laser vision or the build of a weight lifter. But I don’t need to ask how powerful he is. I see it every which way I choose to turn. Yes, humanity’s seemingly unlikely gift! One many seem to think they don’t need but cannot truly live without.

So I ask you- Will you accept another seemingly unlikely present from El-Elyon today? Will you be patient enough to make it to the end of this post?  I hope you will and that you will be glad you did! Here it goes…

GOD’S WORD IS LIKE…

1.       A Mirror

God’s Word shows us what we look like and what and we SHOULD look like. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think there’s any mirror that can do that! The thing is, we could choose to react in one of two ways;

-We could see how “filthy” we are and sink back, wallowing in a puddle of self-pity (James1:22-24). In other words, “the more I see, the less I want to see.”  OR

-We could come as we are and accept what we see, ask for grace to DO what His Word says and change (James1:25).

2.       A Manual

Opposed to popular (and highly unreasonable) misconception, God’s Word is not a rule book- it is a MANUAL. It’s just like when you buy a new microwave- it comes with a manual. Now, it’s YOUR microwave, so you can choose to read the manual or leave it in the box (which will probably be thrown out with the trash). But sooner or later, you will wish you hadn’t.

You see, the Christian journey is exactly the same! Your life is that new microwave! The Bible (God’s Word) is the manual and God is the manufacturer.

The same way the manufacturers (of the microwave) don’t make you sign an agreement that you will adhere to all the instructions in the manual, is the same way God doesn’t tell you “Now that you’ve decided to be called by the name ‘Christian’, you MUST obey every instruction I give you.” Sure, they want you to enjoy their product, but they CAN’T force the instructions on you- even though they’re there for your own good. It’s not like in the world of sports where you can get disqualified for going against the rules. With God, you have a choice- but whatever choice you make comes with a consequence, good or bad. It’s fair play! When you decide to go with what He tells you, even when you really don’t want to, you have to bear in mind that it’s for YOUR OWN GOOD.

3.       A Sieve

It takes all the world tells us and shows us and sifts out the ‘rocks’. It only lets “…whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise…” (Phil 4:8) into the batter of our lives. It doesn’t let the ‘rocks of the world’ through. We can’t eat rocks. If we did, they would harm us. So what do we do with the ‘rocks of the world’? We throw them away!

So I urge you today, don’t just cling to that bucket of chicken. Embrace God’s Word! His written Word, His spoken Word and most importantly, His LIVING Word. Release yourself to its life changing power and share His Truth with those around you.

Have yourself a Merry Christmas!
From me, Debbie to you!