Today is my birthday, and oh my, how my birthday wishes have changed over the years! I can’t believe I’ve been given another year!!! Every year, my loved ones ask me, “What do you want for your birthday?” It is a tremendous blessing to have family and friends who have such generous hearts! This year as I searched my soul and asked myself, “What do I really want for my birthday,” the Lord reminded me of something He taught me earlier in this year.
At this time in my walk with God, my greatest desire has become to have a steady and strong sense of His presence.
A strong sense of God‘s presence is the one thing that I know I need most. It is the one thing I would rather die for than be without. God is so faithful to give my soul love, joy, peace, wisdom, compassion, and strength—all things money can’t buy. I am reminded of the words of the Psalmist:
“Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.
But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all Your works.”
Psalms 73:25-28
I remember the day I realized my desperate need for God. It was then that I wrote the song “Whom Have I?” I set down a landmark in my life as a reminder of the self-destruction of placing my greatest passion in anything besides God. To sell out my soul for anything less than God is what the Psalmist says is to “desert You for harlotry.” I’ve lived that life—disordering my loves and prostrating my soul for—a successful career, a bucket of money, more friends and even my family! I’m grateful for God’s faithfulness to me. He drew me back from the spiritual slums and showed me what it is like to be beloved by the perfect Lover.
I don’t ever want to lose the sense of His presence in my life!
What do I want for my birthday? What gift would give me the greatest joy? It would be to be surrounded by friends and family who also value God’s presence as their greatest prize! Or, simply to hear messages from those who have had their hearts touched by Almighty God and from whom flow the beautiful fruit of His glorious Spirit.
Now, that’s the kind of party that blesses a soul with gifts that keep on giving!
There is no gift on this earth we will take with us when our body dies. But Almighty God gives us eternal gifts. He gives us the things money can’t buy—His love, His peace, His joy, His strength, and His wisdom. These gifts may be given to others generously. When we are in God’s presence, we never run out! And—they are multiplied when given to others! What an amazing gift it is to live in God’s presence.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ!”
Ephesians 1:3
