December 25

Read John 1:1, 14, I Corinthians 13:12

     I apologize that this devotion may be a little lengthy, but it is Christmas and I cannot let this day go by without writing this.

     When I was a kid, Christmas was my favorite time of year. In Minnesota, in the middle of winter was the best. We would sled and skate and play snow football. My dad also grew up in Minnesota so he knew how awesome winter was. We would be off of school and dad would take a snow blower down the long hill of our driveway and then water it down so that we would just fly down on our sleds. He created a huge skating rink and kept it flooded so it would stay smooth.

     I remember all the baking that my grandma, mom and aunts would do. Invariably we smelled the aroma of Christmas wreath cookies, peanut butter with a Hershey kiss in the middle, and I will never forget the crumb cakes. I remember trying to figure out what I got for Christmas. I remember waking up on Christmas Eve knowing that we would soon be heading to grandma and grandpas for dinner and gifts (I think my mom has turned into the grandma now!). We would have a great time, and everything that was wrong in my young life seemed to fade away. I didn’t worry about math and English and all of my other school responsibilities. I remember when it was time to open gifts, the younger kids would pass out the gifts and we would tear into them. What did grandma get me?  What did my uncle Mike get me (he was just like one of the kids so we always knew it would be cool)? My mind and heart would begin to race because everything seemed perfect.

     Except one thing always bothered me, and it wasn’t just the lutefisk that my grandfather made us all try. As we were opening all of our gifts, it hit me that not all of my family and friends knew the greatest gift of all. From before the foundation of the world God was gift wrapping a plan so that we all could live eternally with Him. Throughout the Old Testament, people wanted to see God, but couldn’t because the package just wasn’t ready.  In Bethlehem, however, God opened up the greatest gift. He gave Himself.

     Imagine how Mary felt as that baby was born and she took Him in her arms. How exciting it was to see that God was beginning to reveal His gift to mankind. However, Mary and Joseph only saw a partial unwrapping of the gift that God truly designed.

     Today, people in the religious world will accept the birth of Jesus as someone that the Father sent, but when we realize that the whole atmosphere around the birth was just another layer of wrapping paper coming off in order to reveal to the world who He is. Everything about the life of Christ was simply more wrapping paper being removed from this great gift. We say today that we know Him. I ask, “Do we really?” Do you know Him beyond the scriptures? Is He so real that you have experienced Him?

 I have said all of that to say this. If God started to unwrap the gift at the beginning of time and He is not finished revealing Himself fully today, is it not safe to assume that God is still trying to reveal Himself in your life today?

     On this Christmas day, do not be satisfied with the celebration of Christ’s birth, but allow the gift to be unwrapped a little further in your spirit. Remember it is the greatest gift of all.