DECEMBER 20, 2012
The
Gift
Read: Colossians 1:19-27
And you . . . He has
reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to
present you holy, and
blameless, and above reproach in His sight.
—Colossians 1:21-22
We
refer to Christmas as the season of giving. Most of us try hard to
find gifts
that friends and family will like, but not all gifts are equal.
Some gifts come
with a subtle hint, like an exercise machine or a book
about weight loss. Other
gifts are those that the giver really wants for
himself. But the best gifts are
those that come from someone who loves
us and knows what we want.
Last
Christmas, my pastor, Jim Samra, challenged us to think about
Christ’s coming
in another way. We know that Jesus was God’s perfect
gift to us (Rom. 6:23),
but Pastor Jim added another thought. He said
that His coming to earth could
also be looked at as a gift that Jesus gave
to His Father. Jesus loved His
Father and knew that what He wanted
more than anything else was for us, His
creation, to be reconciled to Him.
Through His incarnation, Jesus made it
possible for us to be a holy and
blameless present to God (Col. 1:22).
Thinking
of ourselves as a gift to God makes us want to be a present
worth the cost,
“fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work
and increasing in the
knowledge of God” (v.10).
Dear Lord, from whom all blessings flow,
Most precious gifts dost Thou bestow;
So truly faithful may I be
As Thou art gracious unto me. —Roworth
God’s highest Gift should awaken our deepest gratitude.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
