Confusing God with his Gifts

Isaiah 1

I had a really great father. One day a week he would take me for a special breakfast at McDonald’s. I had freedom to roam around the property of his gearbox repair shop. I was allowed to make many dangerous implements out of old and unusable parts. He taught me how to make his signature so that I could fill in his name on all of the homework that he would never remember to sign off on.

There were many benefits to having a father like mine. All of those benefits flowed from his joy in seeing me receive and enjoy them. His graciousness. His selfless use of his time and energy and resources and love.

Now image if I started retelling the fond memories surrounding my father by only saying that when I was young I had a spoiling breakfast once a week. I made many different implements with my own ingenuity. I forged my father’s signature and got away with fooling everyone. I went where I wanted to when I wanted to do it.

Leaving out my father entirely I have confused the gifts given to me as being something that is due me and something that I conjured up myself and something that I took by the horns and mastered.

Ignoring the giver of gifts while joyfully accepting and using his gifts is exactly what God’s people are guilty of and exactly what you and I are guilty of.