The Giver Is Greater Than The Gift

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 “Why are you crying, Hannah?” Elkanah would ask. “Why aren’t you eating? Why be downhearted just because you have no children? You have me—isn’t that better than having ten sons?”

~1 Samuel 1:8, NLT

Whatever good I seek in the gift, I find something infinitely better in the Giver.

~Ya’akov

There is a similarity between a candle and the sun: they both produce light and heat; yet there is a vast difference in the light and heat they produce. Although we can’t technically call that vast difference infinite, it is a ginormous difference. God is the fountain and source of all good. Every good gift comes from Him. All the comforts we enjoy are gifts from our loving heavenly Father. As good as these comforts are, and A/C is an incredibly wonderful comfort, they are infinitely inferior to the One who gave them to us. The Giver is greater than the gift. There is one exception: When God gave His son; both the Gift and the Giver were one in essence.

In the above text, Hannah is upset that she has no children and especially no sons. Her husband, being a typical man, says to her, “Why are you crying and why didn’t you eat? Am I not better than ten sons?” Basically, he is saying, “You have me, what else could you want.” Hannah was a highly intelligent woman and she did not answer the question. Elkanah got away with that egotistical blunder. If you put Christ in the Place of Elkanah, it makes sense…Jesus saying to us…”Why are you sad and downcast, am I not better to you than all the gifts I give you? Why am I not enough? Why do you keep looking past Me for more things when I am all you need? You want health—Am I not better than health? You want comfort—Am I not better than comfort. You want possessions—Am I not better than all the possessions in the universe.

God is not merely the giver of good; He is the highest Good. Every created comfort is only a small reflection {candle} of the comfort found in God. The gift is never greater than the Giver. When God removes a means of comfort, He has not removed Himself. Whatever goodness we see in people exists perfectly and without defect in God. God’s presence is better than comfortable circumstances. David said, “God’s lovingkindness is better even than life itself.” The greatest tragedy is not losing earthly comforts; it is being estranged or separated from God. Contentment grows when I value Christ more than what He gives me. Every earthly blessing is candle compared with the Son of God and His infinite goodness.

“My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
—Psalm 73:26

  • Do you know anyone that hates church or churches. I was reminded this week that there are some in our community that wish churches did not exist. Unfortunately for them, this is the way ignorant people think or fail to think. The churches are the salt. If you took all the churches out of Morgan County, it would become a hell hole in no time and even the moral none church going people would be looking to move elsewhere. This world is filled with fools who think more of the gifts than the Giver. In hell, they will change their mind in an instant.
  • Don’t forget someone out there needs you to intercede for them today.
  • Outdoor Church Sunday September 6 @ 8:00. We are holding to the 8:00 am due to the heat
  • GOD’S WORD FOR ALL PEOPLE is Sunday September 13th. I am challenging every member to give $35 to translate a scripture verse so that people who have never had a bible in there language will have one. Our goal is to do the book of JAMES, 108 verses. I think we will give you two Sundays to get your $35, September 13 and 20. So far this year Wycliffe has translated 828,776 verses and we would like to tack on another 100. Wycliffe’s project could effect 2.1 billion people this year. Today there are 535 known people groups that have no scripture at all, not even John 3:16. Your gift of $35 will translate one entire verse. June and I are going to do a verse for ourselves and each of our children. Step up the the plate guys and let’s knock this one out of the park…108 verses for the POINT.
  • Slidder and Hotdog supper Wednesday night September 16. Originally had this for the 9th but we decided to use the pavilion and so maybe the weather will be cooler by the 16th.
  • Monday October 26…we are hosting the pastor appreciation banquet at the POINT. Things are a little different this year. We will need a 49er type meal because this is also the annual meeting of the executive committee. Instead of feeding 20, we will be feeding 60. We will get the KFC, drinks and rolls but we need your help with the other things. Instead of having the 49er meal on Oct. 23, we are asking the 49ers to help us with the meal on Monday October 26. You do not have to attend the meeting just bring your food at lunch time and stay for lunch. It will work if we have a servant’s heart!
  • October 28 is our Bill Smith Jambalaya Supper and our November Wednesday night meal falls on Veterans Day and we are having a stew and Joe is going to have us a video of our veterans at the round table. After the Stew in November, there will be no more Wednesday night suppers until Spring.

Have a great Wednesday and thanks for reading the blog!!!!

Have you ever noticed: Wednesday is a three syllable word and technically should be pronounced Wed-nes-day but we pronounce it with two syllables ‘wenz-day’ with the first ‘d’ silent.

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