December 6th, 2021
Written by Jason Allums
As we enter the season of giving, Christmas, I want to challenge your idea of gifts. We tend to live with the thought of “gift days” as Christmas, anniversaries, or birth dates, but what if I told you that the unopened gift is each day you wake up from your sleep? Every day is gift day.
Fruits are a gift. Vegetables are a gift. Flowers are a gift. Strawberry cake is a gift. Pecan pie is a gift. There is something for every taste bud! When God created the Heavens and the Earth, He did not create a prison to lock you up and make you miserable. He designed a paradise. Hell tries to turn paradise into a penitentiary and Christ has come to destroy the works of the Devil (1 John 3:8).
These gifts are not hiding from you, nor are they difficult to discover. There is much to open if we have eyes to see. The evil that surrounds us occupies the headlines, but this is no different than the days of Noah or the days of Lot. God still sees the 7,000 who have not bowed their knees to Baal. I am convinced that living a thankful life is a choice you have to make every day.
I enjoy hiking and being out in nature. I have hiked close to 900 miles at the writing of this blog and I can testify there is enough on this planet to enjoy for many lifetimes. I will never tire of seeing the waterfalls, valleys, canyons, snowcaps, and forests. I love seeing the squirrels running up the tree, the bear cub climbing up the tree, and the turkey flying through the forest. When I see creation, I know that someone had to be thinking in terms of pleasure when they created this masterpiece. “Good and perfect gifts come from God” (James 1:17). I don’t believe you can improve upon creation.
I am unfair and rude when I fail to offer thanksgiving and enjoy the gift that today is. Reverence is mandatory, not optional. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” (Psalm 24:1). “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven” (John 3:27). “For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Cor. 4:7). All gifts are God’s gifts. The devil and hell have never been the initiator of good gifts. The gifts of the scholar’s wisdom, the soldier’s courage, the artist’s genius, the mechanic’s ability, and everything we have all came from God.
As disappointing as it would be to leave a day behind unopened, it does not carry eternal consequences. If you miss the sunrise today, that loss does not follow you beyond the grave. However, there is one gift from Heaven that you cannot afford to leave unopened. If you leave this gift unopened, it will follow you into eternity; and this gift is the forgiveness, salvation, and Lordship of God’s son,Jesus Christ. Open this gift today and do not leave it unopened. Ask Him today to forgive every sin, bad decision, and past mistake. This gift-giver will give you the gift of salvation and a second chance. Don’t leave it unopened.
As we enter the season of giving, Christmas, I want to challenge your idea of gifts. We tend to live with the thought of “gift days” as Christmas, anniversaries, or birth dates, but what if I told you that the unopened gift is each day you wake up from your sleep? Every day is gift day.
Fruits are a gift. Vegetables are a gift. Flowers are a gift. Strawberry cake is a gift. Pecan pie is a gift. There is something for every taste bud! When God created the Heavens and the Earth, He did not create a prison to lock you up and make you miserable. He designed a paradise. Hell tries to turn paradise into a penitentiary and Christ has come to destroy the works of the Devil (1 John 3:8).
These gifts are not hiding from you, nor are they difficult to discover. There is much to open if we have eyes to see. The evil that surrounds us occupies the headlines, but this is no different than the days of Noah or the days of Lot. God still sees the 7,000 who have not bowed their knees to Baal. I am convinced that living a thankful life is a choice you have to make every day.
I enjoy hiking and being out in nature. I have hiked close to 900 miles at the writing of this blog and I can testify there is enough on this planet to enjoy for many lifetimes. I will never tire of seeing the waterfalls, valleys, canyons, snowcaps, and forests. I love seeing the squirrels running up the tree, the bear cub climbing up the tree, and the turkey flying through the forest. When I see creation, I know that someone had to be thinking in terms of pleasure when they created this masterpiece. “Good and perfect gifts come from God” (James 1:17). I don’t believe you can improve upon creation.
I am unfair and rude when I fail to offer thanksgiving and enjoy the gift that today is. Reverence is mandatory, not optional. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” (Psalm 24:1). “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven” (John 3:27). “For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Cor. 4:7). All gifts are God’s gifts. The devil and hell have never been the initiator of good gifts. The gifts of the scholar’s wisdom, the soldier’s courage, the artist’s genius, the mechanic’s ability, and everything we have all came from God.
As disappointing as it would be to leave a day behind unopened, it does not carry eternal consequences. If you miss the sunrise today, that loss does not follow you beyond the grave. However, there is one gift from Heaven that you cannot afford to leave unopened. If you leave this gift unopened, it will follow you into eternity; and this gift is the forgiveness, salvation, and Lordship of God’s son,Jesus Christ. Open this gift today and do not leave it unopened. Ask Him today to forgive every sin, bad decision, and past mistake. This gift-giver will give you the gift of salvation and a second chance. Don’t leave it unopened.
2 Comments
I like what you had to say. You have a good writing style, which makes it easy for people to absorb.
Agreed! Salvation through Jesus Christ is the greatest gift of all.