I'm so glad it's Christmas All the tinsel and lights
And the presents are nice
But the real gift is You.
written by Carol Cymbala
Everything seemed so busy leading up to Christmas Day....searching for the perfect gifts for the special people in our lives. It gets so stressful because you really want that person to know how much you love and care about them through a gift. You really try to put so much thought into it because you can't wait to see the joy that the gift brings.
Then, suddenly, you realize that is what the Heavenly Father did. He wanted us to know that He loves us so much that He was willing to let His One and Only Son, Whom He loved, suffer and die for our sins and then raise Him from the grave so that we could have a relationship with Him. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 3:23). It was God's precious Gift to us. He couldn't wait for everyone to "see" Him whether in Bethlehem or through our own eyes of faith. He offered this Gift to us NOT BECAUSE OF HOW GOOD WE WERE but because of HOW GREAT HE IS (Ephesians 2:8-9). His desire was for us to experience the joy of receiving the Gift.
Since we have received that precious Gift into our hearts and lives, He only ask that we do everything to pass on the Gift, Jesus Christ, to those who don't know Him so they, too, can experience that same joy. God could have done it Himself but He chose us, like the shepherds "to spread the word" so that everyone could come and "see".
So many want peace in their homes, in their marriages and around the world in the Middle East and across the nations. Peace can only come through the Prince of Peace. May we do everything in and through His power by praying for opportunities to share the Gift and to support missions to reach those across the other side of the world. May we do so we the same desire, urgency and determination as we do when we are trying to give that special gift to someone special because we can't wait to "see" the joy that the Gift will bring to them.
