The hustle and bustle of holiday shoppers is all around me, television commercials show what they hope to be enticing commercials to get you to buy their products, and as I sit in the quiet of my house, I honestly can’t think of one advertised product I would want to buy. I’m not trying to sound “super spiritual” but the desires I have are not anything you can buy from a store. It has already been purchased and at a high price, and not by me. The greatest gift I’ve ever been given, is the one that Jesus purchased for me with His very life – salvation. And within that gift lies so much more, within that gift I have found abundant life.
When someone gives you a gift, it is up to you to determine whether or not you will accept it. Receive it. You have been given free-will, so you decide. I’ve not known anyone to reject a gift given by a human, they eagerly with excitement and anticipation open it to see what it reveals and squeal with delight if it is something they wanted. Prior to opening a gift, you have no idea what it contains, you first have to receive it and open it to discover what is inside.
How would you feel if you went and purchased a very expensive gift out of love for someone, something that you knew they needed, something that you knew would benefit them, something that cost all you had and when you presented them with the gift, they rejected it? Didn’t even open it? Cast aside, showed no interest in what was inside it? Snubbed you? Showed no appreciation or interest? How would you feel? Rejected? Sad? Angry? The gift which costed so much, thrust back into your hands, unopened, unappreciated and unwanted given right back to you. I know I would feel pretty crummy, if you are honest about it – beyond any “pretend” bravado. You would feel that way too.
God, who loves you, the One who sent His ONLY begotten Son to die on the cross for forgiveness of YOUR sins so that YOU may have the gift of eternal life (read John 3:16), He experiences that rejection continuously yet Psalm 103:8 says:
“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”
But He continuously tries to present you with this most precious of gifts, not giving up on you as indicated in 2 Peter 3:9:
“The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
Tell me, what will it take for you to receive His gift? To open it up and discover the goodness of a God who absolutely cherishes you? Absolutely adores you. Wants to walk in a close relationship with you DAILY. What will it take for you to turn your eyes off materialistic gifts and look at a gift that was purchased at the greatest price one could pay? One that will never wear out, need batteries, grow out of style but will last you for ALL eternity? And more than that – it is a gift that KEEPS GIVING. How do I know? Because 33 years ago, I accepted God’s gift, I opened it and here is what I have discovered. I pray it will be the same with you.
In accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I had no idea the depth of the gift of Him I had been given. At first, I had no idea how accepting this gift from God would change my life. It truly has! When you open up God’s gift of salvation, your life becomes a constant discovery of how much God loves you. The way I need to be loved may be different than the way you need to be loved. Our “love language” may differ – but who greater than the One who created you can know what it is you need? He created your heart; He knows your thoughts BEFORE you even think them! (See Psalm 139:1-2). Oh Beloved, in receiving and opening up this gift of salvation from God – I have found the gifts of acceptance, forgiveness, mercy, kindness, grace and an unbelievable love that unless you experience it yourself, I cannot find the words to describe it. I have experienced a love from God and mercies that are new every day! And in accepting His gift of love, I have found what the Bible refers to as “the peace that passes ALL understanding.” (See Philippians 4:6) He walks with me, He talks with me, He is NOT a “pie in the sky” kind of God. He is up-close and personal. If you are a parent, and you have kids, you love them, right? And if someone were to ask you which is your favorite? A healthy parent would say, “I have no favorites, each one of my children are special on their own accord. I love them each for the individuals they are.” Well – THAT is how it is with the Father! GOD HAS NO FAVORITES. Ephesians 6:9 says:
“There is no favoritism with Him.”
and in Acts 10:34 Peter says:
“Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism.”
YOUR FATHER LOVES YOU. HE LOVES YOU! Will you accept His gift and allow Him to love you? The gift of salvation is a one-time gift – Once you receive it, it is yours for ALL eternity! But here is the thing – there’s more! Once you accept God’s gift of love, He continuously pours out other gifts upon you! Gifts you DIDN’T even KNOW you needed! I can only profess what I know and how God has (and is) continuously giving to me, He knows exactly what you need, and you cannot out-love God. Accepting God’s love is one that grows your relationship with Him. I accepted His gift of salvation a week after I turned 21, that was 33 years ago! But let me tell you my relationship with Him has been of continuous growth and intimacy. Although God knows ALL of me, I discover MORE of Him and who He is and how He loves me EVERY DAY. My life has become “purpose-driven” because I am passionately in love with Him. The more you long to grow in Him, the more He reveals to you as you seek Him. He WILL meet with you! Through conversations (i.e., prayer) – did you know that prayer really is not a soliloquy? It is a two-way conversation? God WILL talk with you through Holy Spirit and will show you things about yourself and about Him you can’t even imagine! The Word of God will come alive to you each time you pick it up. It really is God’s love story for you. All of a sudden you will find you are hungry for His Word. You’ll pick up the Bible and be like, “Wow! I’ve never noticed that before!” Scriptures that pertain to whatever you are going through will seem to jump off the pages and stand out. It will make MORE sense and you will understand the lives of those who lived before you, but whose lives have been written about to help you know, that God IS the same yesterday, today and tomorrow (see Hebrews 13:8) So the Word of God DOES apply and will fit ANYTHING you are going through. It will speak to it! You just have to open it and see.
The abundant life does not consist of worldly possessions, there is nothing wrong with having nice things, but in focusing on those “store bought” items, we lose the true gift of this Christmas holiday season, which is supposed to be about the gift that God gave us in Jesus. True abundancy comes in accepting this most precious of all gifts from a Father WHO TRULY LOVES YOU. And in accepting His gift, finding out the REAL reason why you were created – which was to be in a loving, deep fellowship (relationship with Him). Every other gift you will be given this holiday season will be “hollow” and “dim” in comparison. And honestly (and this will probably make you laugh), I discovered a store last year called, “Goodwill” These stores are like thrift shops, and they contain within them items that people have given to the store to resell. As I walked down the aisles of the store, my heart clenched because behind every item on the shelves lay a story from whence the item came. Perhaps these were Christmas gifts given of old? Or birthday gifts? Or items that someone bought and purchased and enjoyed, but then the person passed away and loved ones who did not want the items donated them to Goodwill. Each item I am sure had a story… We cannot take earthly gifts with us when we pass. When you stand before God at the end of your life will you be able to thank Him for the gift, He gave you? Eternal life? Or will you look at Him with remorse, realizing for the first time what it is that you rejected? The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27:
“It is appointed for men to die once, and after that to face the judgement.”
What do I want for Christmas? I cannot think of any “worldly, store-bought gifts” that would fill me with the joy that knowing at least ONE person can experience a personal relationship with the God who I have come to know (and am still learning!) and to love with ALL my heart. I want YOU to experience that amazing love that comes from our Father. How do you open up that gift? A gift that costs you NOTHING but a willingness to accept it. You simply ask Him into your heart.
“Father God, I want to accept this gift You have given me. I want to “taste and see” for myself all that Kelly has described above. I choose of my own free-will accept You into my life as Lord and Savior. I believe You were born of the virgin Mary, that You lived and died on the cross for forgiveness of my sins and that You rose again in the resurrection and that You will return. Please come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. Thank You for this precious gift, I receive it. In Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN.”
Now watch and see how God reveals Himself to you, HE WILL. And I truly would be blessed if you would message me and tell me about how He does, so that we can giggle together and share stories about the greatest gift we’ve ever received – and that is the gift of salvation. The greatest gift of love. The BEST GIFT EVER. I promise you; it is. HE IS. Love in abundancy. Everything we need.
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