Dr. Randy has just wrapped up his series on God’s Intention for Your Money. Advent has started, and Christmas is just around the corner. And I’ve gotta say, I love the season! One of the things you hear over and over during this time of year, on the radio and on TV, is that Christmas is a time for giving. Actually I would go so far to say that Christmas is THE time for giving. Why would I say that?
It’s not about all the brightly wrapped presents under the tree. It’s about the greatest gift of all, when God gave us His Son.
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. (Isaiah 9:6-7)
That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” (Luke 2:8-15)
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Christmas is THE time of giving, because God gave us His one and only Son. But that’s not the only reason it’s THE time for giving. There’s a reason in your DNA, and that’s my next post.
