Everything we have comes from God

John 3:25-27 Therefore, there arose a discussion on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew about purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him.” John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.” What a profound reality: “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.” John’s explanation to his disciples of Jesus’ ministry could be said about every person. John had no jealousy of Jesus because He trusted God. There’s no competition when you know it is God who decides what you have and what you don’t have. In my book, Live to Love, I present three foundational truths that form the basis of Jesus’ worldview and therefore those who live with Jesus. The first one is that there is one God from whom are all things, and He is love. Hopefully, you can see that John believed that as well. It was the Father, God, who gave John the followers that he had, and the same was true for Jesus. All that were following Jesus were doing so because the Father was giving them to Him. The second foundational truth is that God’s love revealed in Christ satisfies the deepest needs of my soul. Finding one’s satisfaction in God’s love, another way of saying that one abides in God’s love, which enables one to be content with what God gives him. John the Baptist was content with those who followed him and were baptized by him because He found His satisfaction in God’s will. One of my favorite definitions of humility is that one who has a humble heart recognizes that everything he has comes from God. Can you see that John’s comment reveals humility? Another way of saying, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven,” is to say, “Everything that occurs in one’s life is from God, because there is only one God, and He is love.” We must walk in humility if we are going to live to love with Jesus. The primary purpose of the branch of the grapevine is to receive from the vine in order to display the fruit of the vine. As people cross our paths, we receive them as from the Father. Since we believe the Father sent them to His Son in us, we also look to Jesus within and receive what He gives us to love as they are given to us. We believe that if we receive someone in His name, then we may expect His grace to love them. I hope this encourages us today to recognize that we do not have anything that we haven’t received from our Father in heaven. He loves us and intends to glorify His name as Jesus loves through us. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of “giving it forward,” so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.