Thought for the Day

A "gift" can be looked at in two ways; first, in the sense of a bribe. Those who can afford an expensive bribe can gain audience with great men. Blessing others with a gift is not wrong, but using it to manipulate them for favor is wrong. We must trust the Lord to give us favor with others when we need it and not resort to methods of manipulation.

Years ago, Bud and I made a missionary journey to Africa, traveling from Kenya to Uganda and then back to Kenya before returning home. We were required to have certain immunizations in order to enter these countries, and we thought we had all things in order. However, when we came back to Kenya from Uganda we discovered that somehow I had failed to have a yellow fever shot. We were not required to have these shots to go into Kenya or Uganda from the USA, but when we came back through customs, they informed us that they would allow Bud to enter Kenya, but that I could not.

We had been staying in mud huts in the bush country for ten days, and were very tired when we got to the airport. We were ready for a bath and a good night's sleep in a hotel! I did not want to sit at the airport overnight until our flight left for the USA the next day, so I began to testify to the man at customs. I told him that I could not possibly have yellow fever, since the Lord had healed me seventeen years earlier of all my infirmities and I hadn't had any illness since then. Furthermore, we had just prayed for many sick people in Uganda, including a lame man and a leper, and the Lord had healed them.

The customs official looked at me rather strangely, but he told me that there was no way he could allow me to enter the country. I continued telling him of the other miracles the Lord had done during our trip. He finally sighed, and waved me through. A local man told us later that the customs official was waiting for a bribe, which is common practice. Twenty dollars would have been enough to have gotten my passage into the country. However, the Lord's favor is more valuable than what we could buy with money. Because it was God's will for us to be in Africa, He gave us favor with the man by touching his heart to allow me back into Kenya without us having to resort to bribery.

Secondly, this "gift" can be looked at in the sense of God's giftings to men. The spiritual gift that God gives us will "make room for us" to gain an audience or favor with great men. The Bible relates that the apostle Paul gained the right to preach before King Agrippa (Acts 25) and other men of authority. We do not have to use gifts or money to buy our way into a situation. When we have God's gift of favor, He will make room for us.