Gifts From God: Devotions From Time of GraceNäide

God’s People Gifts

We all yearn for visible miracles. We all yearn to see God in action, just like in the good ol’ days of fire and brimstone and pillars of cloud and fire. But God seems to prefer saving those highly visible interventions for crisis times only. On a day-to-day basis he vastly prefers to use people to help people. Has God given you people gifts? Look around.

Friends

“Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.” Long-running sitcoms like "Cheers" and "Friends" were built around an aching human need--to have friends. God has wired the human spirit for community--it is not good for us to be alone.

First Samuel 18:1 says, “Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.” The Lord knew that David, his anointed future king of Israel, was going to have to face bitter years of exile and hardship. One of the ways he helped him was to send him a great and true friend--Prince Jonathan.

How are you doing right now? Weary? Confused? Lonely? Look around you today. Some of the faces you see are God’s gifts to you, gifts of friends. Listen to them. Believe their words of affection and concern. Treasure them.