i love to shop the last few days before Christmas. call me crazy, but i enjoy the excitement of knowing that my gifts are all purchased and i can browse for a few special extras.
none of the gifts matter much, though, in the grand scheme of things. the most precious gift of all was given thousands of years ago in a stable that smelled not of gingerbread or pine, but rather of hay and manure. what a gift!
pause for a moment in the hectic details of the season and ponder some other magnificent gifts of Christmas:
the purity of Mary: a humble, virgin girl highly favored by God, with a heart for serving Him (Luke 1:28).
the obedience of Joseph: facing public humiliation for a betrothed who was pregnant, he chose to obey God's instruction and continue the engagement (Matthew 1:24)
the worship of the shepherds: first they hurried to see the Baby and then couldn't wait to share the news with others (Luke 2: 15, 17, 20).
the joy of the angels: imagine the joy in proclaiming the birth of the Savior of the world (Luke 2:14).
the gifts of the Magi: they knew that although Christ was born to poor parents He deserved the best they had to offer (Matthew 2:11).
A humble, obedient spirit, a life marked by worhsip of and sharing about Christ, and a willingness to put Christ first and give Him our best are the best gifts we can offer Him.
Merry Christmas!
(i wish i could remember where i first heard these devotional thoughts. they are recorded in my study notebook dated 2002.)