All that we have is a gift from a good, kind, merciful, loving, compassionate and generous God. Our very lives are a precious gift from him. He chose our parents. They too were his gift to us, no matter what they were like. He has a plan and purpose for each of his children. "We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" (Rom. 8:28). Whatever his purposes for us are in this life, God will cause all that happens to us – all the circumstances we encounter and all the people with whom we become involved – to become co-workers together for our good.

As I have been reading through Romans again, the words "gift" and "given" have been standing out to me: "God's gift of forgiveness" (5:15); "the gift of righteousness" (8:17); "the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord" (6:23); "we believers … long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved" (8:23-24). Forgiveness, righteousness, eternal life and hope itself are all his wonderful gifts. Let's praise him afresh for them all!

"Salvation … is a gift from God" (Eph. 2:8). God's gift of his Son to be the Saviour of the world – the divine gift that inspires all other gifts – is described as "too wonderful for words" (2 Cor. 9:15). 

God wants us to use both our positive and our negative experiences to help others. "Don't Waste Your Sorrows" by Paul Billheimer is a very helpful book and a great read. It encourages us to expect God to open up opportunities for us to empathize with and to share in the trials and triumphs of others in order to minister to them and point them to Jesus. "Freely have you received; freely give"(Mt. 10:8). Every experience we pass though comes under God's sovereignty and contains a priceless lesson for us. Are we, as disciples, learning from them?