Unclaimed
We’ve all seen the ads – You or a family member may have money waiting for you! Check the IRS unclaimed funds page today. You may have even checked your name against the government records. The funds are there from old escrow accounts, security payments, and a host of other things. The money is there – waiting. It’s just unclaimed. I don’t know about you but if I had money waiting for me, it wouldn’t stay unclaimed for long!
Unopened Gifts
It’s the same sentiment when I look under the Christmas tree and see carefully wrapped gifts still unopened. They belong to that friend or family member who can’t see you ’till Thursday, got sick, or whatever, but the gifts don’t disappear. They stay there. Unopened. Sometimes, unopened gifts are a sad sight. They’re evidence of a connection missed or lost. Other times they are a sign of hope. I read about a mother who bought and wrapped a present every year for her son or daughter who had disappeared. The pile grew as a physical monument to her loss and longing. And then, one day, her child was found and all those gifts were waiting for them as proof that she never gave up on finding them and her love never wavered. The gifts were already given.
The Very Last One
When my kids were small, I was insistent about ensuring every child had the same number of gifts so that no one felt left out. Still, when all the gifts were given, and the paper and bows were crumpled on the floor, one of them would usually check to make sure that no unopened gifts were accidentally thrown away with the cast-off wrapping. Someone would check amongst any unopened gifts for others to make sure there was nothing left with their name on it. This continued until the very last one was opened.
What About Us?
What about us? Do we have unopened gifts? Are the Gifts God has already given you sitting unopened? Have they been shuffled from the forefront of your attention to the back of some dark closet? Did you forget to claim them? Did you believe the box was empty or nothing useful was inside? Were you afraid you weren’t good enough or deserving of the gift? Take them – they’re already yours.
God’s promises to us are gifts. They are freely given. We need only accept and receive them. God promises to never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6-8; Hebrews 13: 5-6; Joshua 1:5); He promises that you can cast your cares and anxieties on Him because He cares and is strong enough to hold them (Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7; Phillippians 4:6-9) He promises that you will find rest for your soul (Jeremiah 6:16; Isaiah 26:3; Matthew 11:28-30) ; He promises that you are never fighting alone – He is there to protect, defend and fight for you (Exodus 14:14; 2 Chronicles 20:15-17; Deuteronomy 3:22; Isaiah 40:31).
Happy New Year and start claiming those gifts!!