Rēad to Read …Again
Daily Reading: Proverbs 16-18
Proverbs 17:8
A gift is as precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.
The book of Proverbs is a gift. It was given from God through King Solomon. It is a collection of wise sayings that give all that read them wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. Interestingly, the word gift is used more in Proverbs than any other book of the Bible except I Corinthians. Most of the uses of the word “gift” in Proverbs mean money or some other earthly or natural item. Three times though the word indicates some type of supernatural gift, meaning something that is not obtained from elements of the earth. One of those uses is in today’s verse. About supernatural gifts, consider three things.
It is a gift. It is not earned, for if it were earned it would not be a gift. Some people are gifted in the area of athleticism, music, speaking or many hundreds of other qualities. These gifts are a part of them from birth and employed throughout life. Think about Babe Ruth, the great baseball star and home run king. On all accounts of his life, he was physically gifted with the ability to play baseball. Then think of Pete Rose, he also was an all-star baseball player but he, on all accounts, was not naturally gifted for he had to work hard to play at an all-star level. They were both great ball players, one was gifted, and one worked diligently to obtain his skill. Gifted individuals find the performance of their gift easy. There once was a man in our church who was gifted in math. This was noticed during the first budget meeting he attended. All of us other mere mortals had calculators that we stumbled and bumbled over. He would look at the numbers, calculate them, and give us the answer before we could even finish the inputs. He was supernaturally gifted in the area of numbers, he had a full ride scholarship to any college he wanted to attend, but he went into the navy, excelled there, then opened his own business and excelled there. Everything in his life concerning finances and business was easy for him, he had a gift.
For every gift there is a giver. Yes, being gifted in athleticism may be genetics at work, but even in that, the person with the gift did not earn it. It was put in them by their parents. However, there are individuals who have gifts that neither of their parents had. Who was the giver of those gifts? In the Word of God, it can be learned that there are gifts that God Almighty gives to individuals according to His good pleasure. James 1:17 states clearly: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. There are many gifts of God listed in the Word of God, and every child of God has at least one. Which is, …the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Eternal life is the gift of God.
Thirdly, notice carefully that the gift is precious not in the eyes of others but in the eyes of the one having the gift. Some gifts are put into a person’s life of which they have no choice, like mathematics. However, eternal salvation is a precious gift that must be accepted. For it is one of the gifts of God that can only be received by faith. Some accept this gift, and some reject it. But there it is, available to all. Now that gift, like all gifts, is prosperous to the one receiving or having it. Salvation, no matter how it turns is prosperous to those who have it. Others may not appreciate another’s gift of eternal life. But to the one who has it…it is precious. Every gift to the one possessing it is precious in their sight, others however may not see it as such. Jealousy, misunderstandings, pride, and other human attributes cause some to even despise the gifts others may have.
Most individuals wear jewelry of some sort with precious stones in it. Think about this… If there was no one to see and admire the precious stone, would it be less precious to the wearer? No, it wouldn’t be. Likewise, the gift(s) in a person are not given for the admiration of others but for the benefit of the user of the gift. You see, the gifts given to a person by their loving parents, and Father in Heaven is for their benefit and prosperity. Those gifts may and should be used for the benefit of others, but many times the “others” may not appreciate them. Yet, they are precious in the eyes of the one who has them in their life.
Enjoy the use of your gift!
Dr. William T. Howe
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