The Gift That Keeps On Giving

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
(2 Corinthians 9:15)

A few years ago I was out delivering gifts, my first stop took me up into a very rough part of town, not a good place for me to get lost, but I did. I drove around for about 30 minutes, I was going to ask the cop that I saw, but he had his hands full as he slammed this upstanding young, wanna be “gangst” to the ground, so I just decided to call the homeowner who guided me to her home. She met me at the door; I had an arm full of Angel Tree presents for her two grandchildren. She was a small elderly black lady in her late 80’s (but looked like she was less than 60), with a heart for the Lord. I had a great visit with her & left there spiritually pumped. My next stop was to the county jail to make a request visit for a friend of mine.

When I arrived they set me in a small room at a table, then brought the friend of mine in that I was there to see & locked the door. He sat & talked about why he was there & how foolish it was that he did what he did to return back to jail. We also talked about life growing up in our hometown & how simple life was when we were young. We talked about growing up in church & even then both ending up living sinful lives, falling into some of the same sins. But there is where our lives started to differ, so we started talking about what at that time made us different. What was it, we went to the same school, lived in the same town, grew up in about the same type of family…so what made it to where he was sitting in orange & white stripped PJ’s & I was there as a minister? It was only one thing…Jesus. 

He said that he wanted the confidence that I had in where I would spend eternity. So I told him about 1 John 5:13, where we are told that we can know that we have eternal life & then we discussed the gospel & how he could be without a doubt of his salvation. Long story short, he accepted Christ…I also left there spiritually pumped.

That night God allowed me to deliver Christmas gifts again,  some that would last about as long as a toy could in the hands & care of a 9 & 1 year old. But He also allowed me to deliver a Christmas gift that would last forever, because of whose hands & care that it was left in…Jesus Christ. As cousin Eddy would say, “Now that’s a gift that keeps on giving”.

When you’re giving out gifts this Christmas, don’t forget the gift of all gifts, the King of kings & Lord of lords, the gift that no one will want to return & everyone deeply needs.

Vern