Have you ever received a gift that you didn’t like from someone but you had to pretend that you liked the gift? I mean, to be honest, I’ve had this happen to me. Or, can you think of a moment that you received truly the most wonderful gift you never could have guessed what it was and it completely exceeded your expectations? 

I, like to think that even in my daily life, I’m surrounded by gifts. Gifts that I personally choose to have and keep in my life. I’ve gone through old shoe boxes and drawers and over the years have weeded out obsolete gifts that don’t mean anything to me now that I’m older, and I have set aside those gifts I treasure most so I can look back on them and remember all of the memories that surround those things. 

My family has never been “big” on gifts. It was completely normal to just receive presents on Christmas and birthdays, and outside of those times, the gifts we learned to accept were what life filled us with. 

Trust me, I’m getting somewhere with this. I once had a dream the Lord gave me when I was around age 10. In this dream I remember there was this evil clown (listen, I know… but God speaks in our language and I was 10). This evil clown owned a factory fueled by fire, and he never rested. He invented something, but I couldn’t tell what it was. The next scene is set in a beautiful woodsy forest, where the sun is shining through the leaves just right to make everything a lush green that invited you to enjoy life. Then I saw a child casually walk into this forest holding a picnic basket. A girl came and sat down with him and they shared food and laughter with one another… a few minutes later passed and soon the whole forest was full of children eating, laughing and playing. It was such a beautiful sight and completely full of innocence, something the world doesn’t see much of anymore. 

I looked over and spotted the clown behind the scenes of it all watching the children. The clown sees me and is afraid of me, so he goes and hides behind a tree so as the children won’t see him until he wants them to. Soon enough, a child spots him, and the clown is holding something. In his hand is a beautifully wrapped present. There is nothing I can do about it because I am only but a witness in my dream. The clown grins and tells the child it’s a gift for him and to take it back so as to share with all of the children. I know it’s something terrible, but again, I can’t do anything about it for I am just a witness. Next thing, I see all of the children lying dead on their picnic blankets. A scene, though even but a mere dream, that I’ll never forget. 

A question you might ask is “What was in that gift that caused the children to die?” I don’t think it’s what was in the gift box that matters as much as how it was accepted. The child’s decisions didn’t just affect him, it affected the whole community. 

There’s something I want you to grasp, there is a Father in Heaven, and a Father of Lies. In Matthew 7:11 it states, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Both of these fathers have gifts to give, and it’s up to you which ones you accept to be yours. One comes beautifully wrapped with your favorite colors, ribbons and bows, and the other comes packaged with thorns, nails and a cloth that once laid in a tomb. But the ones you decide to take and open are key, because behind the seemingly beautiful looking gift could be a plethora of problems caused by sin. It could be anxiety, depression, lust, unbelief, etc., the list goes on. You might just accept those lies and even begin using phrases such as “my anxiety” or “my depression”. 

Be careful what you call yours. There’s still another gift there for the taking. It looks so ugly on the outside. Why on earth would a gift come wrapped in thorns, nailed shut and a blood stained cloth from a tomb that only reminds you of death? Well, if you open this one, you’ll find that the One who was wrapped in those cloths is no longer in the tomb, that death was defeated and that freedom reigns. You’ll realize you don’t have to accept the gifts of death that came beautifully packaged, but rather, you can accept that the gift bought with the blood of the most innocent Lamb who came to destroy the wickedness in your life wreaking havoc. You’ll find that Love didn’t just die for you but He came back to life for you. 

Please, understand, this is but a mere ounce that I have on this subject. There are so much more words that I could say. But for now, I will pause. I want you to digest the fact that there is a Father of Lies who will give you gifts that appear to be good, but those gifts can only do three things for you, steal from you, kill you and/or destroy you. But the Father in Heaven came to give us life and life in abundance. This is real stuff. So take heart, and be careful of what you choose and what you call yours. The gift of Life can overcome any gifts given to you that caused you pain and suffering. Jesus came to redeem, restore and revive. 

I pray that you will accept the gift of life today. If you have any questions whatsoever, please feel free to contact me personally. I would love to share how you can accept this gift of life. 

Sincerely, 
Natalie Justine