Your Gift – Pastor Ekpenyong

Proverbs 18:16 A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men. 

While pondering on the world events and post Covid - 19 realities and the changes that might be, one thing the Spirit kept impressing on my heart is MY GIFT.

Yes, YOUR GIFT!

Will this sudden interruption cut off all that was going on for you - your expectations, your faith, your excitement that things are working in your favor?

The word of God to us:

You may be wondering how you may fit in the post Covid era. 

Hearing all the postulations, predictions and projections; amidst all the uncertainty that looms, one thing stands out and it's this that YOUR GIFT WILL MAKE ROOM FOR YOU!

There is always something about faith in the word that creates rivers in the deserts.

That makes Mountains to leap into the sea. 

That creates a smooth path across the red sea or Jordan.

Hallelujah!

The LORD says YOUR GIFT will make room for you even where all the spaces have been taken.

He also says YOUR GIFT will lead, guide and transport you to where it will have maximum impact and returns.

He says have faith in YOUR GIFT because it's My fixed deposit in you and it is enough to get you through life.

It doesn't even matter that up until now all your gift has gotten you is trouble or a few ‘thank you's ' and ‘small change'.  That gift is your ticket!

A question about gift is 'do I have to change my location before my gift will be valued and appreciated?’ You may have to. However, your gift has everything in it as you deploy it where you are currently to announce you and transport you to where it will be valued.

Genesis 45: 5-8. Now, don’t be sad or angry with yourselves that you sold me. God sent me ahead of you to save lives. The famine has been in the land for two years. There will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. God sent me ahead of you to make sure that you would have descendants on the earth and to save your lives in an amazing way. It wasn’t you who sent me here, but God. He has made me ⌊like⌋ a father to Pharaoh, Lord over his entire household, and ruler of Egypt.

Take note of V8 -  It was not you but God!

Brothers and sisters, please, have faith in the gift in you. You can only be defined in the context of the gift.

Remember your gift will lead, guide and transport you.

See 2 Corinthians 4:7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

Note in all our different renderings, this treasure/gift is already in you.

It's dynamic ability is beyond comprehension, extraordinary, grandeur. Can you  begin to comprehend the import of the gift that we so often despise?

Your gift may look ordinary to you because it has always been in you and the familiarity syndrome may be clouding your sense of appreciation.

Nevertheless, willingly deploy it.

DEPLOY IT!

WILLINGLY DEPLOY IT!

Start from your immediate sphere of influence. Joseph deployed it everywhere he was.

Let's begin to pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to the gift!

In closing, let's read 2 Kings 4:1-7 A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord . And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.” So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.” So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the  vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “ There  is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”

II Kings 4:1‮-‬7 That thing that we consider as nothing may be the change maker. He uses the foolish things to confound the wise.

Prayer:

Dear Father, we thank you for Your love that you have shown us in various ways. 

We are grateful for the comfort we receive constantly from your word and the Holy Spirit.

Father, as you have revealed to us through your word today that in the gifts you have given us lies answer to our world’s problems, we ask that you enlighten our eyes to see the problems you have preordained us to solve in Jesus name!

In the name of Jesus we receive inner strength by the spirit of God.

I declare that we are courageous and bold in deploying our gifts when the need arises in the name of Jesus.

We are shinning as bright lights in our world, bringing hope in place of the hopelessness that is prevailing in the heart of many in the name of Jesus.

Thank you Lord because you hear us always. In Jesus name we have prayed! Amen!