What a Bag of Pretzels Taught Me About the Love of God

I’m writing this on a four-hour flight to Portland.

I prefer not to fly on a full stomach.

But when the snacks came around, and a bag of pretzels invited me to know my business was appreciated, somehow its sentiments sat as stagnant on my gratitude radar as the pretzels did on my empty stomach.

And I realized something.

Sometimes I look at God’s gifts like a bag of pretzels on a long flight, given to me simply because He likes me.

The truth is, every gift God gives is a token of His unending, abundant love.       

A love that began before He created anything (Jer. 31:3).

That compelled Him to give sacrificially of Himself when I didn’t deserve it (Rom. 5:8).

That stoops to my life and walks with me every step of my day (Psalm 139:2,3)

That gives and gives.

                When I notice.

                Or when I miss it.

                Or when I think His gifts are a tiny trifle that He just sort of likes me.

               

He’s the Giver of life.

Who loves His own.

And His love is more than a bag of pretzels.

His love is life-sustaining, life-giving, from His life, for ours.

God gives.

Just because He loves us.

“Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored,

And I have loved you.” (Isaiah 43:4)