The Gifts of God

God offers us an inexhaustible supply of love, wisdom, mercy and forgiveness, all for a prayer.

James, the brother of Jesus urges us to ask God if we lack wisdom, because God "gives generously to all without finding fault" (James 1:5) and also assures us that "the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere."

God challenges us to be better than we were yesterday, and God chose the man named Jesus from among us and sent him to proclaim these truths and to demonstrate that humans are capable of reaching God's high standards of love and obedience to God's will.

In the Gospel of Luke, we learn that this man, Jesus, "increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man." God also increases our wisdom, and from Him comes knowledge and understanding (Prov. 2:6.)

Like any human being, Jesus began life as a clean slate - open to good and bad influences. But we see from his connection with God that he consistently chose the Good over the evil, and thus became an example for all of us all, that we, too, may do what he achieved (John 13:15; 1 John 2:6.)

From the life, teachings and example of this man, Jesus, we can gain assurance that we may all achieve what God requires from us: greater wisdom, greater Godliness, greater peace with our Creator, greater service and love to our neighbors and a fuller, more virtuous life.

Jesus assures us that we can achieve the Righteousness God requires of us.

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful" he says (Luke 6:36.) He calls us to "be perfect, just as your father in Heaven is perfect." (Matt. 5:48.) These are not impossible tasks, since he tells us God will be with us.

Wisdom, understanding, knowledge of God's Righteousness, love, and the doing of good deeds that please Him - knowledge of all these come from God, and are made known through the example and life of Jesus, God's Chosen one.

God's gifts are the things that endure forever (Matt. 6:19-21.) These are the things that both enrich our lives and please God. When we devote time to studying God's will for our lives and thinking about them, God will give us the insight and wisdom we have been seeking (Sir. 6:37.)

Let us, therefore, praise God for all His blessings, and recommit to walking according to His will!