His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

‭‭My wife agreed to get me a gift for Christmas that was definitely more expensive than any other gift I had received prior to this one year. This gift was a Treager smoker. Somehow this Treager and I have developed a friendship, because I love to use it to cook our meat. She jokes with our friends that it is the best present that she ever bought me because it was really a gift for the whole family. As a tailgate chef, I know how to cook in large quantities and pretty much that is what I know how to do. So, when it is time to smoke chickens or brisket, I max out the smoking space. Ten whole chickens or a couple of big briskets. The meat has that wonderful smoke ring and tastes so good coming off the smoker. It is definitely worth all of the work I put in. So, this gift has kept on giving good meat to my family and friends all the time.

In a small way, this is similar to the gifts God gives us — they keep on giving, over and over again. Let’s look at this passage (which is one of my favorites).

Initially, God’s power gives us everything we need for 1) true life and 2) a life lived in a godly way. These come in ever-increasing measure and mature in us through our knowledge of him and the weight of his presence and the impact of his goodness in our lives. So it is a circular, regenerating process: God’s power delivers life and godliness. As we get to know him more and more, this knowledge of him in our lives helps us understand his glory and goodness, which in turn opens up our hearts to receive more of his power. Now this circular process also has a byproduct or an offshoot, so to speak. Out of his glory and goodness he also has given us his very great and precious promises. These promises give us hope and fuel our hearts to dwell with him and participate or engage in his eternal qualities of goodness, grace, mercy, justice, love, etc. And finally, they help us escape the evil and corruption of this world.

So, in order to keep this internal process going of building and using all of these great gifts of God that keep on giving, we must obey the command at the end. (It is a ladder that keeps going up, restarting again when you come to the end.). Add to faith, goodness; goodness, self-control or discipline; discipline, perseverance; perseverance, godliness; godliness brotherly kindness; and brotherly kindness, love. So, we see God gives gifts that keep on giving to us, and he expects us to keep on developing these gifts, so they keep on giving to those around us. They are the ultimate gifts that keep on giving.

Lord, thanks for your gifts that keep regenerating this broken man into a servant of the Most High King. I don’t deserve them but am so thankful for them! You love me so much! May I let your love multiply in me and overflow to all around me.