Giving you the best that I got!

Being an adolescent of the 90's, I grew up to really appreciate and love the soulful R&B music of the 80's.  One of my favorite artists from this generation is Anita Baker.  I love Anita's song "Giving you the best that I got."  The opening lyrics go like this.  Ain't there something I can give, in exchange everything you give to me.  Read my mind and make feel just fine, when I think my peace is out of reach.  Anita's simply living her life these days.  She was on hiatus for a while with being a mom and staying under the radar.  However, recently she was honored on the Soul Train Awards.

In thinking about the words to "Giving you the best that I got," I am reminded that God gave us the best that he had, himself.  When we become conscientious of the fact that God gave his best, and continues to give us unmerited grace and mercy, our immediate knee jerk reaction should be to return the act, or at the very least, to thank him.  Think about it.  What is the best thing that you have that you can give to God?  The answer is simple, all of yourself.  In fact, we belong to God.  We are his personal change agents on the earth.

In my advent devotional, today's reading focused on the story of Hannah.  Hannah and Elkanah were barren.  In the ancient days of Judaism, having a male child was very important to carry on the family name and to preserve its immortality.  So, Hannah went to the temple, prayed and wept bitterly.  She made a deal with God and told him that if he would give her a male child that she would return the child to God for the duration of his life.  Hannah and Elkanah were blessed with a child, that they named Samuel.  At the appropriate time, Hannah took Samuel to the Temple at Shiloh where he was under the care of Eli the priest.   This same Samuel is the person that saw Isreal transition from the era of Judges to kings and rulers. 

Imagine that if our parents had made the same vow to God about our lives.  Some of us would be leading completely different lives.  Not that what we are doing now is not significant in any way.  During this holiday season and into the next year, remember that God has given us his best, commit to give God your best.  You'll probably have to take baby steps at first, but every day with Jesus gets sweeter than the day before.  When you commit all that you are and all that you have to God, you will truly be "Caught up in the Rapture of Love."

Peace,
Karsten