THE GREATEST GIFT EVER GIVEN
Psalms 117:1,2 Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Merry Christmas! The day that most children wait for has finally arrived. This morning children all over the world went running to look for their presents. It’s fun and exciting for them as they tear open their packages.
I have always enjoyed Christmas even before I became a Christian. At first as a child it was the getting of presents that I looked forward to. But as I grew older my real joy came in the giving of presents to others from the money I had earned. I always looked forward to seeing the happiness on their face when they opened their gift I has gotten them. It not only represented me, but my love for them. If I got a big thank you and a hug I knew I had hit a home run so to speak.
In Luke 2:8-20 he tells us that there were shepherds out in their fields at night and an angel of the Lord appeared to them and told them that he had good news of great joy for all people. He said that in the town of David or Bethlehem a Savior had been born and was the Christ or Messiah. And as he told them that they would find the baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger, there suddenly appeared a great company of heavenly host praising God. They said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” And after the shepherds went and saw all these things they began to glorify and praise God too.
It’s no wonder God spoke through his prophet so long ago by saying, “Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and that the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. In Jesus Christ God fulfilled this prophecy. God’s greatest and most valued gift was given to us. God gave us his Son as a means of forgiveness and reconciliation. Now at last we can for all time find forgiveness of our sins and be right with God. What we couldn’t do for our self, God did for us through his Son.
Now that I am a Christian, Christmas has an entire different meaning for me. I still enjoy getting and giving gifts, but it is a time of reflecting on my most favorite of gifts and that is Jesus. Beginning that first year after Beckie and I became Christians, before we would open our presents, we would take time to talk to Jesus and thank him for his gift of salvation to us. Since then we have always continued to do it. Christmas is more than a holiday, more than gifts we give and receive, it is all about God’s gift to us.
I hope you will take time today to thank the Lord for his great gift to you. Christmas should be as Psalms 117 says a time for all people to extol and praise the Lord.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to come and atone for our sinfulness. Jesus is the greatest and most wonderful gift we could ever have. We love you Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit and Jesus!
