How many times have we heard someone say or we have said it ourselves, ” I just don’t know what to get them for Christmas!”  This is the time of the year when we spend too much money and waste too much of our time searching the malls and stores in search for that perfect gift to give someone. It seems like at this time of the year, stores bring out those gift packages as gift suggestions to give to those we love. There are those gift packages with all sizes of flashlights or screwdrivers, those gift packages with an arrangement of lipsticks or perfumes or cologne. those gift packages with an arrangement of all types of candies, popcorn or all kinds of cheeses, and the list goes on, for us to choose from at Christmas. Finding the right gift at Christmas to give to someone can become very exhausting and frustrating to say the least. What if you were getting a gift for Almighty God???

In Matthew 2:1-12 we read about some Magi who followed a star in the east in their search for the one who had been born king of the Jews. These Magi came to King Herod and asked him where this new-born babe was. Herod was now an old man and he had reigned 35 years and the news of a new-born king upset King Herod and he became every jealous. Who knows, thought King Herod, this new-born king might look to take his throne away. Not knowing where this new-born king was and looking to find him so he could kill this babe, he asked the Magi that when they found this new-born king, that they come back and report where he was so he could come and worship this new king as well. (liar, liar pants on fire)

The Magi went on their way and the star that had been in the east went ahead of them and led them to where baby Jesus was with His mother Mary. When they came upon the child Jesus, they bowed down and worshipped Him. As they worshipped the baby Jesus, they opened their treasures and presented Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh; can anyone say wow!!!

What do you think you could give as a gift to the One who spoke the stars into place, the One who knows the number of hairs on your head, the One who owns the cattle on a thousand hills and the list goes on and on? What could you possibly give to King Jesus that would even come close to what he did for you on the cross?

When I first came to Jesus, over 38 years ago, everything I had, was slipping away and my life was in shambles. As I sat in the back row of a church, I thought what in the world could I give to Jesus that would even cause Him to take notice of me for I was a very sinful man. At the end of his message the minister said if anyone wanted to surrender their life to Jesus and make Him the Lord of their life so He could come and live in them, to come to the altar at that time. It seemed like an eternity that I stood there thinking what should I do. I have nothing to give to the Lord other than a messed up life and what in the world would He want with that. Besides my sins were too many and too bad for the Lord to forgive.

After a time of thinking, I went forward and thought that maybe the Lord would somehow have mercy on me. Little did I know that the Lord would take my life, as messed up as it was, cleanse me of all my sins and give me His peace and joy. I walked out of church that night a different man and though I have made mistakes along the way since, the Lord has never left my side and He has blessed me since beyond what I deserve or could imagine.

The Scriptures say that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. There isn’t a gift in this world that we could give to the Lord that could ever match the gift that He gave to you and me, all the Lord asks is that we give Him all that we have and He will do great and mighty things with that. Paul writes in Romans 6:13 “Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness.” Paul also writes in Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, my brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.”

The greatest gift we could ever give to the Lord is our obedience. In response to Saul’s act of disobedience and lies, we read in 1 Samuel 15:22 “But Samuel replied, Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, to heed is better than the fat of rams.” 

Give the gift of love to those you care for this Christmas but give the gift of yourself and your obedience to the Lord today and the return you will receive for doing that will be more than you can imagine. Merry Christmas to all and to all my amigos, Feliz Navidad 🙂