The Greatest Gift

I was out Christmas shopping today and everywhere I went people were so friendly and perfect strangers smiled at me in the mall. I had purposed in my heart as I went out the door this morning that the Holy Spirit would lead me all day, that I would carry the blessing of the Lord everywhere I went. It was a perfectly delightful day. And in one day I got all my shopping done. He directed me what to get to give to people. It was so much fun. I love shopping with Jesus. We really enjoyed ourselves. He knows all about gift giving since He gave Himself totally as a gift to all of us. What a wonderful, loving God we serve.

Then I ended my day with my husband and I meeting for dinner with some ministry friends and thoroughly enjoying our time with them.

I discovered something today, maybe not any big spiritual revelation as such, but I saw that people will respond to you according to what you have purposed for that day. All of us need to practice that and the world would be a better place.

Let’s talk about Jesus as the greatest gift that has ever been given. He as a gift was announced to the shepherds as they watched their flocks by night. They gladly received the good news of His arrival. Of course Mary and Joseph were the first ones to receive Him as a gift. What would have happened if Mary had said to the announcement by the angel Gabriel that she didn’t think she was worthy or that she didn’t think that was possible or she just didn’t have enough faith for that.

Have there been times when we have missed out on a gift that God wanted to give to us?

The wise men wanted to see the greatest gift ever given. They even brought gifts to Him.
What have you given to Him lately?

But there was one who didn’t receive the gift. He was a man in love with his own self and his own position. King Herod wanted to get rid of the gift. He didn’t appreciate what God had sent to this earth. He was only concerned about himself and his kingdom. Do we have our own kingdoms that have no place for the Lord?

There was no room in the inn for the gift that night that He came to this earth. Is there no room in your heart for the greatest gift ever given? You may say to me that you already have received Him as your Savior. But what about all those other places in your heart that are not open to Him, those areas that you keep to yourself. Every one of us need to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to us any areas in our hearts that are not open to Jesus, areas that need revealing. Lately, that seems to be my prayer. Lord, reveal to me those places that you need to expose in my life and deal with them. I want Him to prepare me for Himself. I want Him to be welcome in any part of my life. He is so important to me.

There were those who accepted Jesus as God’s gift and those who didn’t accept Him. It is no different today. It is still the same. Here is the greatest gift that man will ever receive and yet it goes unnoticed by so many. This season as they hustle about to find the best gift for each person on their list, they are unaware that the best gift has already been chosen for them. His name is Jesus, Savior, Immanuel, Redeemer, Lord.

As you go about your shopping and go in the stores, remember to pray for those who don’t know Him, that they would see Him for the first time as their greatest gift. Pray silently for the clerks, for the shoppers, as you go about the stores. Pray that the eyes of their understanding will be opened to see the Truth of what they are missing, that they will desire Him Who is their greatest friend. Let’s step up our prayers for those who don’t know Him yet. That can be our greatest gift to Him this year.