The Gift Given for All Time
It is customary to give gifts to our loved-ones at certain times of the year. Birthdays, weddings, the birth of children, and anniversaries may merit our benevolence. The Christmas holiday is another such occasion. It is an annual tradition in our family to exchange gifts, and we have observed this tradition as long as I can remember. It is such a happy time for children who love to receive new things, for parents who enjoy watching the children revel in the bliss of new delights, and for all who appreciate the blessing of being able to give to others; “it is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Second Corinthians 9:15 says, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” “Unspeakable” here means something akin to the thought that words are not adequate to express all there is to say about how significant something is, and this is the situation we find ourselves in as Christians when we give thanks for the gift of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. John 3:16 teaches us that Jesus is God’s gift to humanity and what a great gift He is. He is God’s gift to us not just once a year, but for all time.
Do we feel the same joy for the gift God gave to us as we do for those fleeting baubles that we exchange each December? When Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice” (Philippians 4:4), he had Jesus in mind. He is the gift given for all time with whom and by whom we may rejoice forever. After the “season of giving” has ended, God’s gift giving goes on. At any given moment the Christian should reflect on the gift of Christ and rejoice forevermore.
God bless you, and I love you.
Kevin Cauley