What's in that package?

Today was the morning to open presents at our house.  Branson and I popped straight out of bed, eager to fix pancakes, hot chocolate, and open presents.  As we waited on Dad and sis to wake up, Branson couldn’t resist going to his stack of presents, shaking, feeling, even smelling what was inside.  He knew one package was legos just from how it sounded, and the others he took guesses at, only to get a smile and shrug from me.  
     While I waited, I did a morning quiet time, and the verse of the day was Isaiah7:14: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign:  The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” In this instance, the prophets and all of the Jewish world were waiting to open their present.  They were watching for that long awaited gift from God, The Savior of the world.  
     As I watch the kids open presents this morning, I hope to remember the true gift that we opened when we invited Jesus into our hearts.  When that box gets torn open, out comes grace, peace, patience, forgiveness, hope, love, kindness, goodness, and an eternal promise.  If you haven’t opened that present of salvation yet, I pray that you, like Branson this morning, would sense an eagerness in your heart, not to open physical gifts, but to unwrap a spiritual blessing that will change your life forever.  
     Go to Jesus like Branson did with his packages this morning…..feel him out, study him, ponder what’s inside, and then open up the greatest gift anyone could ever give; eternal hope and salvation. 
​     Merry Christmas to you and yours.

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