Luke 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Though something is given, it really isn’t considered a gift until it is valued as such. For some the Holy Spirit has little value or appreciation, although apart from the free gift of salvation, He is the most valuable gift to us from the Father. This Comforter, this Friend, this Guide that will lead into all truth is so much more than a theological debate. He is the very nature and likeness of Jesus imparted in the presence of God’s breath. There is no other treasure in this life that will come close to this truth and there is nothing that can replace His value, and yet, petty little nothings are given higher priority continually with a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude for the most valuable gift. All other value in the heart of His child stems from the embrace of this treasure.  He won’t be asked for and he won’t be received until He is thought to be good and greatly desired.

So, how does this passion arise and from where does the desire for this treasure come? You really don’t have to try and remember when our youngest son’s birthday is, because several weeks before its arrival a hand written, numbered list will appear on the refrigerator, letting us know what he considers to be good gifts and their priority of value to him. He is definitely expecting at least that item that is setting next to the number one. So how did this list come to be? Did he just come up with these items on his own, or was there exposure to them through friends, advertisements, and maybe trying them out at the store? They had definitely been revealed to him in a way that made them appear to be cool and a requirement of life. He also had no problem with declaring his desire for them and listing them for us to see so we could prepare for their presentation to him on his birthday. He had experienced enough to know that if he really wanted it, there was a good chance it would be his if he just asked for it persuasively.

Now, what would happen regarding those gifts if Hunter never developed a desire for them enough to request them so passionately? Come birthday time he would really have no one to blame for ending up with a bunch of things that his parents thought were good, like underwear, socks, or maybe a music book. This special day would pass with him never feeling like he had received a real gift – something he had wanted, rather than something we had just desired for him.  The value of the gifts he would receive would be directly related to how much he desired them and how much they fulfilled his passion.

God is ready with the most wonderful gift that will touch the heart with amazing passion. However, though He’s ready to give it, the days will come and go with only those other things of this life providing fulfillment in their limited ways. Until He is thought about, talked about, and seen as the great treasure He is, there will be no communication of desire to obtain Him, and where there is no asking, there will be no receiving. He’s here right now, the specially planned gift of the Father to those He loves so much. Rather than being given a cold and even repelling reception, may He receive this day a warm and inviting one based upon the anticipation of just how wonderful will be the experience of His supernatural presence and its evidence. May His goodness rise to the top of the list of expressed requests.

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Ephesians 4:7  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

They had put in their requests, written the ‘Santa’ letters (actually sent to a rich great uncle who had asked for them) and were waiting with great anticipation and much impatience for that coming morning when they could finally unwrap and expose the treasures they hoped to receive. The number one thing on both of their lists was actually the same thing. It was the latest and greatest toy- just what all the tv ads had shown to be the ‘must have’ for this year.

On that morning, far earlier than they would normally sleep in on a non-school morning, they rose up and started making sure everyone else in the house was also getting in position so that the legal opening of the presents could begin. After waiting for a few younger siblings and cousins to open presents, their moment finally came and both boys quickly went for the package that surely would be that specially requested present. Both presents were soon free of their concealment, but both were not acknowledged with the same degree of elation- not in the least. While one of them did receive that dreamed of toy, the other, to his ill-concealed disappointment, found within that same-sized box just an old book- something for which he had never felt a single desire. It wasn’t even on his list at all. While he didn’t want to disrespect those who had given the gift, he did get a bit overwhelmed by the pain of disappointment and, in the course of cleaning up, actually stepped on it and eventually lost the book in the shuffle.

It was a few years later, and the boys who had become young men were home on college break. They were helping Mom and Dad clear out much of the accumulated stuff from the attic and garage for a garage sale and Goodwill donations. It was fun opening up boxes and finding many of their old treasures. Memories were revived of related experiences and stories were told, some of which were new discoveries for the others of personal feelings and perceptions. The ‘dream’ toy was eventually found and it was interesting to note how quickly it had gone from this incredibly expensive essential to just another of the occupants of storage boxes. Then, while going through some books, the old lost book of disappointment was found by their father. Since it hadn’t really even been opened on that day it was a present long ago, nothing of it’s contents had been discovered, including the note on the inside cover. After looking through it for a little while himself, the father handed it to the son to whom it had originally been given along with a suggestion that he check it out. Thumbing through several dog-eared pages with hand written notes in the margins, the son finally came back to the inside cover and read the note that had been written to him there by his since deceased great-uncle. He had been addressed by name, and then a wish was expressed that the young boy would find this book to bring as much fulfillment and wealth to his life as it had to the uncle’s. After several years in a life that had met with failure after failure, he had taken and applied the truths in this book, eventually acquiring a great deal of wealth as a result.

It’s easy to get caught up in the disappointment that rises from observing desired gifts going to others, and step on and totally lose and forget the gift we’ve been given. While there may be a ‘buz’ going on at the moment for that ‘big deal’ present, the ability to live a life fulfilled by much more than a soon to be forgotten fad is there all along, though possibly lost and forgotten. To discover it and begin living in the reality of its full potential is to find the wealth of a lifetime. It’s just a matter of taking whatever gift we’ve been given and letting it grow to its completed design.