“And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken.”
Genesis 21:1
Psalm 127:3 tells us that children are a gift of the Lord. A gift cannot be given without a gift-giver; someone who comes near, who purchases, who offers the goods to those in need. The verb “visited” here in vs.1 carries exactly that thought. It means that the Lord got involved in the day to day happenings of his friend Abraham and his friends wife, Sarah.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”
James 1:17
So if you’ve waited and waited and still you feel like your gift has never arrived or maybe you doubt that God is a good gift giver, consider the fact that Abraham and Sarah have waited 25 long years.
This might bum some of us out.
“You mean to tell me I might have to wait that long for what I want?” you say.
You have to understand there is more being worked out here than a simple delivery of want; for at the same time there is a delivery of need being carried out.
“What are you talking about Dan?”
When we read James 1:17 we tend to fix our focus on the “good gifts” part. What we really need to be considering is the “perfect gift” part. One verse later we see a bit more insight to what this perfect gift is.
“Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.”
James 1:18
God has a plan; His will is being worked out in our day to day affairs. He doesn’t desire to simply indulge our every want; He desires to give us perfect presents that we might be presented perfectly in Eternity.
Back in the day when Christmas and birthdays came around I used to be the kid that desired the latest greatest toy. When a commercial would come on, I would the one saying, “Yeah, that’s what I want!” Then about a week later another commercial would be aired and again I would say, “Yeah, that’s what I want!”
In reality I was just following the hype, I was misled about what I wanted because I wasn’t aware of my need. That’s why when I got underwear or socks or something practical as a present I was discontented. Until that day finally came when I started paying for stuff, not long after that day I realized that apart from my parent’s things cost money and money wasn’t easy to come by. After that the toys lost their value and the practical seemed much more beneficial.
It’s like that with the father, I’m not talking about toys and socks, all that stuff is temporary, the Perfect Gift Giver neither thinks on the sentimental or practical, He thinks in the realm of perfection. It’s either temporary or eternal in that realm. And the Father is looking to give gifts with the eternal in mind. That’s why the wait, the want, and even the needs that we consider are often missing the point. Because we’re still thinking about “good gifts”, and the Father is preparing the “perfect gifts” that will mold us for eternity.
As Isaac arrived to perfect God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah, so too our perfect gifts will come to prepare us as “a kind of first fruits of His creatures.”
