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Giving and Receiving

2 Corinthians 8:9  For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 

Tis the season for gift giving.  We give and receive from all sorts of places.  A week ago a letter arrive in the post which contained two artful and scribbled drawings from two four year old grandchildren.  Along with the two we received in California from our two grandchildren there, the four have made their way to the refrigerator - the art gallery of all homes.

These gifts won't replace a Picasso or a Renoir, but they will stay proudly displayed because they came from little hearts as gifts of love.

Advent reminds us that it is in the little things that gifts are given.

I read recently of some lavish gifts that are for sale to be given...thousands of dollars, and in some cases hundreds of thousands of dollars.  I won't judge the person who would give gifts like that because I wouldn't know their hearts in giving what they can.  Perhaps they have the money and delight in giving such things.  Perhaps if I were in the same shoes I might be looking at lavish gift catalogs also.

But God delights in simple gifts that come from joy, love, the heart.  That is why he chose to send His Son into the world as a baby - born in a stable - of two poor young Jewish people - in a small village on the outskirts of the metropolis - with Shepherds as the first visitors.  We get the point.  It's not the extravagance of the gift, it's where the gift came from in the heart of the person who gives.

Several Christmas' ago our daughter and son-in-law - who live in England - came home for Christmas.  Along with our other children and their families we celebrated Christmas as we often do with music, games, laughter, food, and gifts.  That year our daughter gave each of us something very personal - the gift of her own making - music.
For me a recording of a lovely piece on a violin - something she knows I love listening to.  For her mother, a beautiful solo recording of a lovely hymn.  It brought each of us to tears to listen to the music, but mostly to know that it was from the heart.  Years later the gift still keeps on giving.

This is the Advent message - God gives from the heart and the gift keeps on giving.

Romans 3:21-24   But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—
22  the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:
23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24  and [we] are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,  


And also

Ephesians 2:5-8,  
even when we were dead in our trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
6  and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,


Think about it - God gave US salvation as a gift,  and gave US to His Son as a gift.  May all of our gifts be so generous and from the heart.

Peace

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