The Lord is a loving, giving God. He loves to give. He LOVES giving so much that He sent His Son to die on a cross and rise three days later so that our relationship with Him is restored. Next to Christ, and the Lord giving of Himself, the greatest gift He gave us is His Word. 

The night I found out about the brain tumor, which would later be diagnosed brain cancer, my pastor gave me Psalm 91. It is a cherished passage I carry with me and am so grateful for. Certainly an excellent passage to read at any time in life, but especially as we approach the storms of life. It is one I read often as a reminder of God’s present and active love towards those who are His.

As a teacher I sometimes get gifts for Christmas and at the end of the year, but one gift stands out as a cherished gift of love to me. My students knew something was up in 2014 as I would leave, return, or even miss class as I went to doctors appointments and for tests. Students are so insightful and knew something was up, so once I was diagnosed, I told them what was happening. I was blessed with so many wonderful and compassionate students that year, and am grateful for each of them.

Word got out and many former students stopped by to show their support. One student in particular, Harmonie,  stopped by and with tears in her eyes asked if what she had heard was true. We talked about it and how life sometimes goes like this. A few days, maybe weeks, she came back with a small gift that is one of the most precious I have ever received. She took little pieces of colored scrap paper and on each one she wrote a Bible verse. She folded each up and put it in an old pasta sauce jar. It sits on my desk to this day as a beloved gift. I regularly take out a verse and read it and am encouraged by the verse and by the kindness of a student.

Over the years I’ve learned to gift verses, definitely not as well as Harmonie did, but what gift is better to give than the Word of God? The greatest gift a person can receive is salvation itself through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but the very Word of God is an excellent gift one can give to another. 

I leave you with the first two verses of Psalm 91 as a gift for your life and an encouragement for you to read the rest on your own.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’”