Daily Jewel

by Pastor J.T. Carnell
Oct. 10, 2011

“In all your ways acknowledge Him..." – Proverbs 3:6 (NIV)

Is packaging important to you? Marketing experts think so. They have discovered that most Americans identify products – not so much by what they do but how they are packaged. When traveling and you get hungry what do you look for? McDonald’s knows – and in 2005 they were able to determine that 40% of their income came from people traveling. Those Golden Arches are really golden. How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected? The following is a story that I have used before but one that applies aptly to this particular situation. A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold. Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, “With all your money you gave me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible. Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.
When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse, Matthew 7:11, "And if you, being evil, know how To give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly father which is in heaven, give to those who ask Him?" As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words, “PAID IN FULL.” Could it be God has something in store for you and is simply waiting for you to “cash it in?” Most people miss out on the greatest blessings simply because they have not sought for them. The Apostle James says it best: “Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” (James 1:16-18) Then a little further he says; “You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (4:2-3)
Is there a blessing you are missing? Pastor J. T. Carnell