Romans 11:29
...for God's gifts and His call are irrevocable.

It just seemed too obvious to write something about the New Year, so I decided instead to write about how mean it would be for me to reach out my hand and take away the $17.32 that my son, Parker, has just counted out on my desk. Where did he get all that money, I asked? "From Christmas and other stuff people gave me," he said. And of course, he said it with a fairly big smile on his face. But how quickly that smile would turn to tears if, with one swipe of my hand, I took all that money from him. And that's the point about God that we need to remember this year. He never gives gifts just to take them back.

With God, there are no returns, no refunds, no second-thoughts. Can you imagine a God who turned to an angel and said, "On second-thought...?" Of course not. He gives every man and every woman gifts that He chooses, matched perfectly to fit us like the last piece of a puzzle and He never even considers taking them back. Thank God that He is the giver of good gifts and not the taker of them.

It's something to think about as you stand in that long customer service line so you can return a gift that wasn't quite the right color or size or maybe wasn't even remotely close to anything you like (like that armadillo handbag!). The God we serve knows the hairs on our heads and He is keenly aware of what you and I need. He knows what 2005 will bring our way and, whether we want to believe it or not, He has equipped us with what we'll need when it comes.

Plus, you can throw away the receipt, because there will be no return.