"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son….” -John 3:16
We don’t often think of this well-known verse at Christmas, but this year I’ve been reminded of these basic truths again -
God LOVES us!
God gave us His Son.
One of my favorite ways to celebrate Christmas is to give gifts to others. It brings me great joy to give something, whether small or significant, to a loved one. It’s a way to communicate to them that I care, that I’m thinking of them, that I delight in them.
I can only imagine how much greater God’s heart is than my human heart. He gave us a tangible gift so we would always know that He loves us, that He’s always thinking of us, that He delights in us.
Not only that, but God didn’t just give us a “little” gift or a small token...He gave us the BEST He had. He gave us His beloved Son.
Pause and consider that for a moment.
Anytime I start to doubt God’s love or wonder what He’s doing in my life, I go back to this passage in Romans 8:
"If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" -Romans 8:31b-32
God Almighty already gave me the very best He could ever give - Jesus! There is nothing greater than this gift! And along with Jesus, God gives us countless other blessings and gifts.
So when it feels like life is too hard, the suffering is too much, or something I’ve prayed about for years isn’t happening…I think once again about Christmas, about the gift of a Savior—Emmanuel, and about the heart of my heavenly Father. And the doubts recede and my soul is filled with awe.
This is our God - the Giver of all good gifts, especially the best gift ever: Jesus!
Merry Christmas my friends!
