“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God.” (1 Cor. 2:12, NKJV)

A few years ago, I received a call from the reception at the office.

I had visitors – two gentlemen, complete strangers.

They introduced themselves as businessmen from a certain Arab country.

Their intention for coming to Uganda was to do a market survey for a new model of Motorola phones that they were intending to introduce in Uganda. 

They wanted a few people in Uganda to use the phone first to see how they would work on the local telecommunication networks.

There and then, they handed me a package containing the brand new phone!

Then they told me what sounded like music in my ears – it was free!  

We all love it when we get gifts, don’t we?

I mean the excitement of getting something valuable without paying a coin for it is simply irresistible.

Even when we really don’t need what is being given as a gift, the sheer thoughtfulness and gratuitousness of the giver makes it absolutely valuable to us.

Our meditation today comes from a portion of Scripture in which the apostle Paul was discussing the superiority of God’s Providence compared to the temporary things of this world.

Sadly, a lot of Christians today only focus on physical things like gold and other material things of this world when the Scriptures talk about God’s providence. 

But did Jesus really have to die on the cross for you to have a nice car?

Not at all; I mean there are many people driving cars worth billions yet they hate Jesus with a passion.

Like someone has said, the most valuable things don’t cost money.

It’s like having a valuable parcel at the Post Office that was addressed to you but you’re not aware. 

Paul argues that the reason God gave us His Spirit was so we could know the incredible things that are freely given to us by God.

That means that it is possible that God has given us very valuable stuff freely yet we don’t have a clue about it.

It’s like having a valuable parcel at the Post Office that was addressed to you but you’re not aware. 

The role of the Holy Spirit is to open our spiritual eyes to the reality of what has been freely given to us by God’s Grace.

As a matter of fact, after Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is the most important of God’s free gifts (Acts 2:38, 10:45). 

It was interesting to find out that two different Greek words are used for these two gifts.

When we have Christ and the Spirit, we have everything that we might ever need from God (Romans 8:32).

With Christ and the Holy Spirit in and with us, there is nothing more for heaven to give!

All that remains is for the Spirit to open our spiritual eyes so that we can appropriate and embrace that Providence.

Then when it becomes a reality in our lives, we are ready and willing to share it freely with others at no cost because we received it freely (Matthew 10:8).

Prayer:

Dear Holy Spirit, thank you for the free gifts that became available to me when Christ paid the price to make me a child of God.  Open my eyes that I may see all the Providence that is available to me to realise my eternal destiny. In Jesus Name, Amen!