The Best Christmas Gift - Devotional

Read This: “Look! The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call him Emmanuel,” which means “God with us.” Matthew 1:23

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Think: Have you been part of a white elephant gift exchange? It can be a riot, and sometimes you get lucky and take home a fantastic gift. Other times, you may have gone home with a menagerie of clown statues, despite your major clown phobia. Or maybe you got a box of expired candy and chips.

Christmas is about the greatest gift the world has ever known. The gifts we give to each other are a small reflection of what God did for us. He gave us His beloved and precious Son, even knowing how we would mistreat Him. The Father knew that the “good news of great joy that will be for all the people” would mean the ultimate sacrifice—Jesus was born to die. Still, God gave His gift freely and joyously because of His relentless, unwavering love for humankind. His sacrificial gift was necessary for our salvation.

How beautiful it must be to the Lord when we embrace his gift, his Son, with the same enthusiasm children have on Christmas morning. For parents, all the frustrations of standing in line, finding the right color, and everything else it cost fade into distant memories as they delight in watching in giving to their children. “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Mat 7:11) God is the ultimate gift giver.

So as you gather around the tree and the annual gift giving frenzy commences, take a moment give thanks for the best present you’ve already been given. The real Christmas miracle didn’t happen on 34th Street, but in a little town called Bethlehem, when God came to be with us.

Ask: In a culture driven by material gifts, how can we strive to make Christ the center and focus of the Christmas season?

Pray: In reflection of what Christmas is really about, thank the Father for sending His Son to us and giving us the very best gift we’ll ever receive. While so many people celebrate the season without really understanding why, ask for opportunities to let others know what God has done for us.