The Gift Of My Love
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he story is told of a young
lady who was marrying a fine handsome man. Shortly before the wedding, all
kinds of beautiful gifts began to arrive. With much joy, this young lady opened
her gifts. However, she noticed that her father did not give her a gift. As the
time got closer for the wedding, she said to him, “Daddy, we have not received a gift from you.”
Her
daddy replied, “That’s right. The gift I offer you is the gift of my love.”
The
daughter loved her father dearly, and appreciated his love, but she was
disappointed that he had not given them a gift. Then she thought, “Maybe he’s
saving it until we are ready to leave on our honeymoon.”
But
to her surprise, when the wedding was over and all were saying their good-byes,
she still had not received a gift from her father.
As
she hugged him before leaving, she said, “Daddy, did you forgot to give us your
gift?”
He
firmly replied, “No, I didn’t forget. As I told you before, ‘The gift I offer
you is the gift of my love.’“
She
was disappointed, but she was so thrilled about leaving on their honeymoon that
she set the matter aside.
Finally,
after being away for two weeks, they returned home. Her daddy was among those
who lovingly welcomed them home.
After
they had been home for a while, her daddy said, “Are you two ready to receive
the gift of my love?”
Somewhat
puzzled, they replied, “Yes, we’re ready.”
They
joined him as they drove to a new housing development, and he stopped the car
in front of a new beautiful house. As they stood and admired this house, her daddy
showed them a ring of keys and said, “This is my gift of love. For months, I
have been building this house for you.” —Selected
When
Jesus left the riches of heaven, He came to earth on a mission of love. Very early
in His ministry, He spoke of a gift of love. “For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
As the months of His ministry passed, the dark shadow of the
cross cast itself across His pathway. The closer He got to the cross, the more
He spoke about love. He said, “This is My commandment, that you love one
another as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his
friends” (John 15:13).
What
was this gift of love that Jesus offered? Well, it began with His sacrificial
death on the cross.
Jesus
had promised His completed gift of love before His death. He said, “Let not
your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s
house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for
you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you
to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3).
Therefore,
just as the newly wed couple received a beautiful house in which to live, so
Jesus promised as His gift of love, beautiful eternal mansions. This gift of
love is given to all who will obey the gospel, and then live faithfully for Him
(Hebrews 5:9).
Are you making plans to receive this gift? —BBBristow