Yesterday I participate in a fun event called “Fill the Streets With Art”. I packaged up a couple small original pieces of art and a few cards, with the words “FREE ART, Take Me” written on the packaging, then dropped them in different locations in my town along Main St.  

  Giving art away was a delight. The anticipation of knowing someone would come along and find something of value for FREE made the gift giving all the more enjoyable. Giving and doing and working and pleasing are all good and necessary until it comes to our salvation–there is NOTHING we can do to receive salvation accept RECEIVE it. It’s a gift–FREE!

Some people who find the art will be excited. The odds are, there will be an equal amount of people who don’t really care, in fact, they may consider it of less value because it’s free. I can tell you from experience, I’ve scoffed at the FREEness of salvation.   

I really like the last paragraph in today’s devotional.

We must enter the door of His kingdom through the door of destitution. . . . It is only when we get hungry spiritually that we receive the Holy Spirit. The gift of the essential nature of God is placed and made effective in is by the Holy Spirit. He imparts to us the quickening life of Jesus, making us truly alive. (This is my favorite part coming up.)  He takes that which was “beyond” us and places it “within” us.  And immediately, once “the beyond” has come “within,” it rises up to “the above,” and we are lifted into the kingdom where Jesus lives and reigns (see John 3:5). —Oswald Chambers

“Look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who, for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).”

It’s a joy to give out gifts and its a joy when people accept them freely. Trying to DO something to deserve the gift of salvation robs Jesus of His joy of giving and cheapens the gift He gave. Humble yourself and accept it and be renewed from within. God bless you today!