It’s all about the presents!
When my children, Brian and Karen, were young their grandparents would make the 7 hour drive from Southern California to our home in Oakland to celebrate Christmas. The kids would run excitedly out the front door as Grandma and Grandpa pulled up in the driveway in that big Ford LTD. Then, with great fanfare, the huge trunk would open stuffed to the gills with tons of beautifully wrapped boxes. Wow! What fun and excitement as we carried all those presents into the house and placed them around the tree where they would spill out all over the floor.
The anticipation of opening all those presents brought joy to all of us, but was it really about the presents? Why did Grandma and Grandpa make that trip? What did they really want? What they really wanted was our presence. They came all that way so that they could be with us, so that they could see the smiles on the grandchildren’s faces, so that we could all just be together.
It’s not just about the presents, it’s about the Presence!
God had that very same desire. We were so very far away, but he was willing to make that long and costly trip because he so wanted to be with us and have the joy of bringing us gifts.
And, oh, the gifts he brought all beautifully wrapped in his love - the joy, peace, strength and calm assurance. Every good and perfect gift that we would ever need all wrapped up in his Presence. He smiles when we open the gifts he came so far to bring. It brings him great joy when we abide in him. He himself, is the very best gift of all. He, himself is that good and perfect gift that came down from heaven.
Lord, you extended and expended yourself to give us the gift of yourself and along with your presence every good and perfect gift that we will ever need. Let us open and receive those gifts today and especially enjoy your Presence this Christmas time. Thank you for coming all that way and paying the price so that we can have the extreme joy of being with you.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down
from the Father of the heavenly lights.
James 1:17
