they ’ ve given us amazing presents in the past , our feeling of expectancy increases .
Now , I want to ask a deep , complicated question . A real spiritual head-scratcher . We love receiving gifts , sure , but do we know who the ultimate gift giver is ?
God is .
Yeah , I said it . God is the ultimate gift giver ! I know you might be like , “ Oh , come on , Fusco , of course you ’ re going to say that . You ’ re a pastor .”
And you ’ re right : Of course I ’ m going to say that ! But that doesn ’ t make it any less true .
And what is so great about God ’ s gifts is that He knows what we truly need .
Our love of receiving gifts is a reminder that God has always been in the gift-giving business . And what is so great about God ’ s gifts is that He knows what we truly need . Sometimes even we don ’ t know what we truly need . Maybe you ’ ve looked back on a time in your life — whether it was when you were a little kid or just a few years ago — and thought , I can ’ t believe I used to want that , or , I ’ m so glad I never got what I asked for .
I remember when I was younger and my aunt decided to get me a baseball glove . She knew I loved baseball . She knew a glove would be useful . But my sweet aunt didn ’ t know anything about baseball . Bless her heart , she tried . But she got me a mitt for a lefty . Not only that , but she thought she was getting me a catcher ’ s mitt , when it actually was a first baseman ’ s mitt . I didn ’ t have the heart to tell her . But the amazing thing is we never experience awkwardness or disappointment with the gifts God gives us , because our heavenly Father always knows exactly what we need .
And I believe that in times of uncertainty , in scary times , there is at least one gift that God wants to give all of us : hope . Not just the idea of hope , but the gift of actual , real , life-giving hope that comes from knowing the Lord .
Delivered from Fear “ God has not given us a spirit of fear , but of power and of love and of a sound mind .”
That ’ s how 2 Timothy 1:7 describes what it ’ s like to be one of God ’ s children . The apostle Paul is writing this to a young man named Timothy . Earlier , in 1 Timothy 1:2 , Paul calls Timothy a “ son in the faith .” Paul has been investing his life in Timothy , mentoring him . By this point , Timothy was struggling a bit in his ministry . He was starting to feel overwhelmed by everything that was going on . We ’ ve all been there . That ’ s why Paul writes to encourage him , and it ’ s in that context that he says , “ God has not given us a spirit of fear , but of power and of love and of a sound mind .”
Right away we see something key in Paul ’ s words : It ’ s impossible to receive some of God ’ s gifts if we are living in fear . He wants to trade our fear for His power , love , and wisdom .
I ’ ve said this before , but remember that fear is the natural human response to uncertainty . Fear comes to all of us . And when it confronts
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