Seeing Past the Foolishness to Find the ‘Perfect’ Gift
“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men,
(The 1st Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 1: 25 NASB)
and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
Yesterday, I stepped inside an insanely crowded department store; people were EVERYWHERE! As I walked toward the carts, I knew it would be difficult to push through the crowded aisles, so instead I elected to carry a blue basket on my arm.
How much can a person place inside the small basket and still carry the basket with ease? Well, I was about to find out as I stepped toward my first purchase: candy for the little neighbor boys who live across the street.
Today is the twentieth day of the month of December, so this means, in five days, Christmas morning will be here. CHRISTMAS. As the days march forward toward the much-awaited day, we find ourselves blending into large crowds in search of the ‘perfect’ gift. After thirty-minutes of shopping, I carried my now-full basket toward the self-check-out line and sat my heavy basket on the floor as I waited for the lady in front of me to unload her basket and scan her items.
“I am slow,” she said to me, as she scanned and as I waited.
“I am in no hurry. Take your time,” I replied, for it was true. I was not in a hurry but had plenty of time to wait.
“It’s hard to find the perfect gift,” she said, scanning her next item: a tightly rolled fleece blanket.
“Yes, people generally have what they need,” I replied, “and to be sure, the best gift we can give is the gift of time shared together.”
Nodding her head, she seemed to agree, as she finished scanning her last purchases.
Mankind is not so wise. In fact, mankind is foolish and even more arrogant and quite dismissive of the ‘PERFECT’ gift God sent to the world.
We know this to be true because the Bible tells us so.
“Where is the wise man?
(The 1st Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 1: 20-21 NASB)
Where is the scribe?
Where is the debater of this age?
Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
For since in the wisdom of God
the world through its wisdom did not come to know God,
God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached
to save those who believe.”
In this season of Christmas, many notice the nativity scenes depicting the babe in the manger, the angel Gabriel, the animals in the stable, and the shepherds who came.
Then came the Wise Men from the east—twelve days later—the Epiphany!
- God sent His most precious treasure into the world; God sent His Only Begotten Son.
- God loves us so much; the Bible proclaims it so!
- God sent Jesus—to us at just the right time, to bring salvation to the world.
For God knew how humanity’s foolishness and arrogance would keep him searching for a god but not finding the TRUTH—the TRUE GOD!
“For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom;
(The 1st Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 1: 22-24 NASB)
but we preach Christ crucified,
to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,
but to those who are the called,
both Jews and Greeks,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
SO, ALMIGHTY GOD SENT HIS PERFECT GIFT TO US, AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME!
The coming of JESUS changed everything everywhere!
- MAY WE SEE THE ‘PERFECT’ GIFT THIS CHRISTMAS!
- MAY WE PROCLAIM THE ‘PERFECT’ GIFT SENT TO US—JESUS!
- MAY WE SHARE JESUS THIS CHRISTMAS WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT YET BELIEVE!
“But when the fullness of the time came,
(The Letter of Paul to the Galatians 4: 4-7 NASB)
God sent forth His Son,
born of a woman,
born under the Law,
so that He might redeem those who were under the Law,
that we might receive the adoption as sons.
Because you are sons,
God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts,
crying,
“Abba! Father!”
Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son;
and if a son,
then an heir through God.”