The Big Reveal (Part 2)
“’Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’…When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.” Luke 2:11-12 & 15-16
At Christmas I have followed a practice of hiding the most precious gifts under the tree in the most concealed places. It is not that I don’t want them to be found, but I love the heightened anticipation and surprise of what is most valuable. Often these gifts come in small packages, like a piece of jewelry. I hide them under the Christmas tree, camouflaged by the other gifts. They appear initially small and insignificant, but underneath all that camouflage, hidden amongst the ordinary is the most precious gift. It is the one thing that must be found to achieve my ultimate joy at Christmas.
In much the same way God has placed a gift under the tree that is most precious and brings Him great joy, both in the giving and in the revelation of that gift. The gift comes concealed in the unexpected and seems small by comparison to some of the larger packages around it. But when it is discovered and unwrapped one finds what is of the greatest value. God smiles with joy as the gift is discovered and prompts us to persevere in seeking that particular package. He whispers, “Keep looking…” for it is the gift He most wants us to find. It is the gift that will best manifest His infinite love.
This Christmas we will see many gifts before us to be opened and enjoyed. But there is one gift that exceeds and eclipses all other gifts. It is the one God intends that we should find and enjoy as the expression of His great love for us, and the one He most desires that we find. He whispers to our hearts, “keep looking…”, until such a time when we find His greatest gift to us, the gift concealed in the ordinary and unexpected. The gift of His most precious Son, Jesus, the embodiment of His goodness, love and gracious care.
At this Christmas, as you find yourself inundated with all the various circumstances of life, both good and bad, listen for His tender whisper, “keep looking…” until such a time that you discover the precious gift God has so longed for you to receive and enjoy, His own precious Son, Jesus. He is God’s “big reveal”!
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