December 7, 2005

Forgotten In The Gifts


Read:
John 3:13-21


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. —John 3:16


Bible In One Year: Ephesians 1-3

In Western culture, the Christmas season is a time for a revelry of gift-giving. A world-famous department store annually issues a catalog of gifts of value beyond extravagance. One of them was a $10 million zeppelin—a 230-foot-long, 50-foot-wide airship capable of flying for 24 hours without refueling.

A gift like that seems unbelievably ostentatious—especially when we compare it to the lowly manger where God sent the gift of His Son. All too often, in the midst of our exchange of presents, God's gift is forgotten.

We can avoid this negligence by remembering to give from our heart. We can be inspired by love and gratitude not only for our loved ones but especially for the Supreme Giver of all good gifts—our heavenly Father.

Even the smallest, least expensive gifts can take our memories back to Bethlehem, where God gave to the world His love-gift of infinite value, His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16). With each present we give and receive, we can say from our heart, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:15). —Vernon Grounds


As they offered gifts most rare
At that manger rude and bare,
So may we with holy joy,
Pure and free from sin's alloy,
All our costly treasures bring
Christ, to Thee, our heavenly King. —Dix

The most important part of Christmas is the first six letters.