We trade our gifts on Christmas Eve, or Christmas morn, or some convenient holiday. We wait to see a grateful smile, or wide-eyed wonder on a child’s face—all quietly aware our turn is next: the next gift will be handed us.
And though this pageant brings us joy, and warms our hearts, we dare not say it represents the gospel, even though it’s full of gifts. Our calculations typically are tuned to give of equal value. We won’t embarrass others with extravagance that they can’t match, nor do we like the debt we feel when we receive “too much.”
But heaven gave extravagantly when heaven gave us Jesus. He came with nothing in His hands but everything—all riches—in His heart. His greatest joy is in our joy—and in our inability to trade Him anything in return.
Grace is a gift we cannot earn, and don’t deserve, and can’t repay. We don’t make things “even” by obedience, or costly sums, or kindly deeds that lessen obligation. He who “owns the cattle on a thousand hills”—and all the hills—isn’t seeking reciprocity.
Accept the gift. Embrace the Child. Be overwhelmed with joy.
And stay in grace. -Bill Knott
NET WORTH (July 08, 2022)
GRACE AWAKENINGS (July 01, 2022)
THE LIFE YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED (June 24, 2022)
THE LEDGER OF YOUR LIFE (June 17, 2022)
A HYMN TO GRACE (June 10, 2022)
IN QUIETNESS AND GRACE (June 03, 2022)
FEELING GUILTY, LEARNING GRACE (May 27, 2022)
WHY GRACE ENDURES (May 20, 2022)
BETTER THAN WE KNOW (May 13, 2022)
GRACE AND CHANGE (May 06, 2022)
GRACE AND LIGHT (April 29, 2022)
THE FOLLOWING WEEK (April 22, 2022)
CONSIDERING THE LILIES (April 15, 2022)
GROWING WEALTH (April 08, 2022)
HERO TO THE RESCUE (April 01, 2022)
AUDACIOUS GRACE (March 25, 2022)
THE JOY TO JOURNEY ON (March 18, 2022)
GOOD AND GRACIOUS (March 11, 2022)
BETTER THAN WINNING (March 04, 2022)
GOING OVERBOARD (February 25, 2022)
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