The Best Gift Ever!

John 3:16 (NKJV)

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

I remember Christmas morning as a kid, the wishing, the waiting, the wondering, the waiting, and then waking up Christmas morning to find out which selections were made from my 10-page list of wants and desires. It was a glorious time, but, how many of those gifts do I still have today? Zero, none, not a single one. The Duck Hunt version of the Nintendo, long gone. The r/c racetrack, broken a few days in. Rock em’ sock em’ robots, they never really worked. Then there is Jesus, the most amazing gift ever given… God’s perfect son, sent to pay the debt of our sin. An eternal gift, a gift that will remain no matter what!

Naughty or Nice?

It usually started around the end of October, the threat of Santa watching my every move. Don’t do that, Santa may be watching. Don’t do this, his elf’s may be peeking in the window. My Christmas hopes and dreams hinged on my ability (or lack thereof) to control my random outbursts and occasional naughtiness. Does the gift we receive from God have all these same strings attached? Romans 5:8 explains… (8) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us… apparently not! How awesome is this that? God gives us this eternal gift while we are in this sinful state! No strings attached, free to receive it as we are!

The Gift That Never Fails

In Matthew 28:20 Jesus promises to be with the disciples always… (20) teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen… He makes this same promise to us today. He will be with us always until the end of the age, until we return home, until our journey is complete. That Teddy Ruxpin stopped reading me stories a few months in, Jesus’ promises will never fail.

Take Time To Be Thankful

The Psalmist says it perfectly in Psalm 106:1… (1) Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever… Today is certainly a time for us to enjoy gift-giving, there is nothing better than seeing the look on my children’s faces when they receive that highly anticipated gift, there is nothing better than spending the day with family and loved ones, but, we must take time to be thankful that Jesus came to earth to be born to a virgin, live a sinless life, and ultimately pay our ransom on the cross! Do not lose sight of that focus today.

Closing Thoughts:

Thank you Jesus for the amazing gift of salvation!

Luke 2:7 (NKJV)

7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.