The Most Precious Gift
The First Sunday of Advent is tomorrow—November 27th (three days after the celebration of Thanksgiving). During this season, we speak of those things, of those people, and of those situations we are most thankful for as we sit around our tables.
This Thanksgiving, we played a game of guessing.
- Think of something for which you are most thankful & record it upon the small table tent sitting upon your dinnerplate. (This was the second year I set the table with table tents and ink pens, even though last year’s “game” was a different type.)
- After you consider all the things possible, record one person, thing, or place upon the table tent, disguising your handwriting so that the rest of the dinner guests do not immediately know which answer belongs to each guest. (There were eight of us at the table, people from other parts of the world, people who were family members, and those who were not. So, some penmanship we would know, maybe even disguised, but others we would not immediately recognize.
- The girl from Spain was asked to read aloud the group’s table tents. (I thought she would add a certain difficulty to this game of guessing since she barely knew anyone at the table, except me.)
This Thanksgiving, there were two table tents that both spoke the same one-word answer: Family.
Dr. Charles Stanley said, “THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE WE MUST SETTLE IN THIS LIFE IS OUR ETERNAL DESTINY.” (The caps are mine, added for emphasis.)
Immediately after Joshua was commissioned to carry on the duties of Moses, to lead the children of Israel into the Promise Land, Moses sang a song. Within the song, he sang to the heavens and earth created by Almighty God. Moses gave praise to the greatest of the LORD, the Rock of his salvation. He spoke of the perfectness and faithfulness and righteousness of Yahweh. Then Moses spoke of the perverseness of the people. Then Moses spoke of the crookedness of the generation. Then Moses sang these words:
“Is this what you do to the LORD,
(Deuteronomy 32: 6 NASB)
You foolish and unwise people?
Is He not your Father who has purchased you?
He has made you and established you.”
During this season of Advent, we are called to look at the first coming of Jesus to the earth and to look expectantly for the second coming of Jesus to the earth.
We are to answer the question: What is the Most Precious Gift we have ever received?
The Apostle Paul made his decision one day while he was walking along the road on his way to the city Damascus. He saw the LORD that day. He heard the LORD that day. He chose the LORD—the Most Precious Gift of All—that day. Everyone has “a day, a time, a moment, a season, an expanse of decision.”
Maybe your day is today, this day prior to the first day of the season of Advent.
See with me the Apostle Paul’s words:
“For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God.
(Romans 8: 14-16 NASB)
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, . . .”
Moses was so right.
The Apostle Paul was so right.
Those two men sitting at my Thanksgiving table this past Thursday were so right.
FAMILY is so extremely important—Yes, our earthly family, but MOST IMPORTANTLY—
Our heavenly family & Our heavenly Father!
I pray that everyone in your family and within mine—Know JESUS as Lord & Savior.
May we everyone, each one, decide to become “sons and daughters of God. . . a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
Dr. Stanley was so right.
WE MUST SETTLE THE QUESTION! &
WE MUST LIVE OUT THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION EVERY DAY OF OUR LIFE!
The ANSWER is so simple.
The QUESTIONS are quite complex—What will I do with Jesus? Will I be adopted into God’s Family?
The CHOICE: Accept the Most Precious Gift of Jesus—OR—Reject Him Today.
The CHOICE: Every person’s decision to make.
Let us prepare this Advent for Jesus’ second coming.
Almighty God has already given to us His Most Precious Gift—His Only Son Jesus.
What each one of us will do with God’s offer of His Salvation is totally left for us to decide.
Today, this day before the season of Advent begins, may we settle this decision—our eternal destiny—once and for all.