We all love to receive gifts. But none of the gifts we receive could ever match what God gives us on a daily basis.
Take, for example, the spider. It has received an extraordinary gift that provides her shelter and food (In the French language, the word “spider” is denoted as “feminine”, for some strange reason!). This gift is that of making flexible thread out of her own fluids, thread that is five times stronger than iron thread. It is so strong that if enough of it were wound together to a thickness of 1 cm, it would be strong enough to open the door of an airplane. It is so tough that a thread 3 cm thick would bring a Boeing 747 in full flight to a complete stop. Not an ordinary feature, is it!
No human can make such a thread!
The spider’s thread is not only strong, but it is also very elastic. It can stretch 30 – 40% of its length before reaching its breaking point. No wonder than these thin wires can stop a bee in mid-flight. In fact Polynesian fishermen use the thread of the golden orb web weaver Nephila as a fishing line. They don’t have to worry about it breaking!
Don’t you wish you could produce such a thread?
But those of us who follower Christ as our Lord and Saviour have received a much bigger gift than this! Nothing can compare to the gift God has bestowed on us!
“On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-5 NIV)
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-18 NIV)
God’s kind of gift is everlasting. It will not only encourage us, but it will also guide us all our ways. All we have to do is listen. (Yes, we are control freaks and this leads us to trouble when we do not listen to His voice!) No need for expensive human counseling. God Himself will guide us through His Holy Spirit. No need to try to distinguish between lies and truth, as God’s Spirit is “the Spirit of Truth” as well as the author of His Word, the Bible.
A spider may be able to stop a bee in mid-flight (Or a Boeing 747 in full flight, if it could produce a 3 cm wide thread!), but we can now face any adversity because God is not only with us always, but He also resides within us. Even while locked up in a cell, we still can enjoy fellowship with our Maker. Nobody can take Him away from us! Yahoo!
We do have the most unique gift of all creation. The world will not recognize Him because they don’t know Him, but we sure can! May we learn to enjoy the gift God has given us in surplus to the sacrifice He gave to us on the cross.
Hey! I can wake up every day with a big smile. God’s Holy Spirit is not only my constant companion, He is also my best friend. Who else can I trust like I trust Him? He never ever lies to me and I can rely on Him in all things!
Would you like to getting to know Him? Invite Him into the inner depths of your heart. Life will never be the same again. It will be pure delight, even amidst afflictions!
If a 3 cm spider thread could stop a plane in full flight, imagine what God’s Spirit can do for us! Wow! Amazing!
Thank you Lord for the best gift of all!
Rob Chaffart
(To access the entire “Jesus’ Deepest Desires” devotional series, please click here.)