Gift Preparation In this season of gift-giving, there is a meaningful opportunity to express affection, appreciation, and love through the presentation of a gift intended as a true blessing of worth. Families, friends, business associates, and others seek to communicate honor and value by offering gifts they hope will be received in that spirit. Ultimately, it is the message of the heart that a gift is meant to convey. Yet, in accommodating this culture of giving, modern retail has made the process remarkably effortless. With only a few seconds on an app and the tap of a “Submit” button, a gift can be purchased and sent on its way. While earned resources or borrowed credit may fund the transaction, the depth of heartfelt expression is often shallow and poorly communicated. The gifts that carry the greatest weight are typically those that require time, thought, and intentional preparation. Hand-formed items or carefully planned shared experiences often speak far more powerfully than something quickly obtained, because they reflect genuine care and thoughtful investment. In the rush to express value to those in our lives, there is also a profound opportunity to give special care to a gift of worth offered to the One who has given us the greatest gift of all. If those dearest to us are worthy of more than an afterthought, how much more worthy is the One who gave His very life for us. While we may bring resources of value that require little preparation, the gifts He desires most are those formed over time—prepared in a heart set apart in holiness and expressed through a life that honors His thoughts and ways. We are richly blessed with songs, words, and expressions we can offer to Him, yet when little prior consideration or care is given, the worth He deserves can be understated. When we approach our Savior and Redeemer with an expression of honor, it is most meaningful when it flows from a life of preparation—an extended commitment of the heart shaped by devotion and obedience. Notes Gift Preparation – from obligation to passionate expression Presenting Gifts Gifts to the Lord are the best, given first, and have a reward. Proverbs 3:9-10 (NLT) 9 Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. 10 Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine. Offer What Costs You Something 2 Samuel 24:24 (NLT) 24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing.” So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen. Gifts that are worthy of the King, not second-rate Malachi 1:8,13-14 (NLT) 8 When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. 13 You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the LORD,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. “Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the LORD. 14 “Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations! Intentional strategic gift planning/preparation 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 (NLT) 1 Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God’s people in Jerusalem. You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. 2 On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once. The gift to Paul was received by God as a sweet-smelling sacrifice – well-prepared. Philippians 4:18-19 (NLT) 18 At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. What about the heart? – Needs preparation. The ultimate “gift” is a life fully devoted—pure and set apart. Romans 12:1 (NLT) 1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Preparation of Obedience 1 Samuel 15:22 (NLT) 22 But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. Preparation of Brokenness Psalms 51:16-17 (NLT) 16 You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. The gift of praise is prepared from a generous heart through faith lips. Hebrews 13:15-16 (NLT) 15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. 16 And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God. Reconciliation Before Offering Matthew 5:23-24 (NLT) 23 “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. Beyond the Spirit/Sounds – a life of Truth John 4:23-24 (NLT) 23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” Overview: Giving a gift is the opportunity to express honor and value for the recipient. The less preparation given to a gift, the less authentic its expression of worth. The most effective gifts are those prepared over time with personal investment of energy and resources. In approaching the presence of the Holy One, there is a need to present a gift appropriate to His worth. While there will be an expression in the giving of the first and best, what God really wants is the obedience and devotion of the heart. More than a sacrifice meant to make up for unrighteousness, He desires for the sacrifice Jesus offered to be applied in the preparation of our hearts. The worship He desires is the presentation of a living sacrifice that has been prepared in alignment with His desires and preferences. Prayer: Father, You are worthy of my highest honor and deepest affection. You have given me the greatest gift—Your Son—and nothing I bring compares to what You have given me. Forgive me for the times I have approached You casually, offering what was convenient rather than what was prepared. Cleanse me heart, align my motives, and teach me to honor You with intention and reverence. Prepare my life to be a living sacrifice—holy and pleasing to You. Let my worship flow from obedience, my giving flow from devotion, and my offerings reflect the worth You deserve. May every song, every word, and every gift I bring be shaped by a heart committed to Your ways. Receive my life, Lord, as my greatest offering. In Jesus' name, Amen. Declarations I honor the Lord with the first and best of all that I have. I don’t come before Him without the presentation of something that has cost me in preparation. My gift to Him is the reception and application of all His blood has won for me in victorious living. My heart is prepared in brokenness to submit to His Lordship and please Him in all I do. In preparation of my generosity to the work of the kingdom is reception of a sweet-smelling savor by my God. Everything I offer to God is from a heart formed in devotion from a life of worship. In the honor of fellow members of His body by forgiving and blessing them I am preparing my gift to my Savior and Lord.