A gift comes with many questions. “What is it?” “Is it something I want?” “Did I give the person a gift of equal or greater value?”, “What if I don’t want the gift?” and on and on. But gifts, those special gifts that touch your heart…the gift that will last a lifetime are directly connected to the “Gift-Giver.”

I love to ask people, “What’s the most memorable Christmas gift from your childhood?”  When I asked my brother, he quickly responded, “The World Book Encyclopedia.” He would spend hours reading them. Our parents subscribed to the annual editions, so he experienced a double Christmas when they arrived.

The other day I had the Joy of giving Mary a special gift. I cried as she cried with Joy. I experienced, in a small way, what Our Father experienced that Christmas Day when He gave from His heart. Our Father cried with Joy. He gave His very best. “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

God gave His Son… He gave us Hope. Our Only Hope!

• “And His name will be the hope of all the world.” Matthew 12:21
• “O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood.” Psalm 71:5
• “And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.” Psalm 39:7
• “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.” Romans 5:5
• “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” Hebrews 6:19
• “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” 1 Peter 1:3

“May the God of hope fill you with ALL JOY AND PEACE as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

What will you do with His Gift?

Merry Christmas