Gifts Given to Our Father

Editor's Note: This devotion, written by Pastor Kevin, was originally posted on Tuesday, July 27, 2010. It was recently accepted for publication in The Pentecostal Evangel, the official weekly magazine of the General Council of the Assemblies of God. The Evangel boasts an average weekly circulation of approximately 200,000 worldwide and publishes inspirational features that focus on contemporary issues, biblical instruction and devotional guides, Christian news, and conversation pieces. Gifts Given to Our Father will be published during the month of December, 2011.


James 1:17 says “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, in whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” God is a great gift giver. Jesus said in Luke 11:13, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

I have always tried to be a good gift giver as a father too. Planning just right, arranging the Christmas morning array of gifts around the room with just the right lighting and just the right spacing so as to catch the wonder and breath of the kids as they stumble in on Christmas morning wiping the sleep from their eyes, only to find that their wishes had become reality. After the order of my grandparents and then my parents, I have tried to make my kids’ dreams become reality. My grandma and grandpa running down the Toss Across game that I had asked for on Christmas Eve in Louisville may be my fondest Christmas memory of gift-giving. As parents we know how to give good gifts to our children.

But, even more does our Heavenly Father know how to shower us with loving-kindness, mercy, and most of all the gift of the Holy Spirit. He is so generous in His giving, loving in His expression, and committed to meeting every need according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus. But can we give gifts to our Father? Oh certainly we can give our tithe and offerings, our acts of service, and faithful devotion. These are clearly appropriate and no doubt touch the heart of the Father. But might there be more? I think so and yet it may seem insignificant to many.

I believe the greatest gifts we give to the Father are those moments when no one else knows, and when even our consciousness may not be directed toward giving to Him. Still then, the abundance of our heart flows out in expressions of worship and love and we give a thrill to the heart of our Father.

My kids were oblivious to it but I overheard them singing and playing worship music from my office beneath the room where they were practicing. There were times they would stop and start to get things just right as you would in any rehearsal but there were some stretches when they just sang from their hearts. “Here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, and here I am to say that you’re my God. You’re altogether lovely, altogether worthy, altogether wonderful to me.” They were only rehearsing, but I had my ear inclined and they were giving me a gift. A Sunday afternoon, two preacher’s kids defying the stereotype and lifting their hearts in worship to Jesus. My cheeks were warm and wet as you can only imagine. What a gift they had given to me.

I can’t help but wonder if we might give the greatest gifts to our Father in those moments when we don’t even know He’s watching. And from our hearts we sing, or whistle, or reflect on His beauty, love, and awesome grace. I think He may just incline His ear toward us, listen to our songs, and maybe wipe a tear from His cheek as well.