Gift Wrap

Under The Gift Wrap
Julia Bettencourt

For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son…   John 3:16

I love pretty wrappings. There’s something about making a present look beautiful and even sometimes fun too that makes the receiver excited about opening it. Of course it always boils down to what’s inside that counts, but getting to that point of finding out what’s inside sure is fun!

I love watching my kids open their presents at Christmas. Sometimes they open them slowly and other times they dive right in and rip off the wrapping so quickly you almost miss watching them open the gift. Watching our children’s faces and their reactions is one of those things we love as parents. Later on we usually know what gifts they like the best by how much they get it out play with it or use it.

I’m sure God is the same way when He looks down at us. He’s given so much for us through the gift of His Son, Jesus. He knows when we appreciate His gifts too. He sees our thankful hearts or not so thankful hearts. He knows when we get out His Word and find all those things He’s left for us or if we’ve left them under the tree.

John 3:16 tells us that God loved us so much that He gave us His Son. Though His Son, Jesus Christ, we can have so much. Here are some things that we find under the tree just waiting for us to unwrap.

• Unwrap the Gift of His Love.
  Have you pulled off the wrapping of the love of Christ and accepted Him as your Savior? If you haven’t, that’s the first step in unwrapping what God has given us. I’m so grateful that Christ loved us so much that He wants to take us to Heaven to be with Him, but I love the fact that His love sustains us here on earth. Every day I wake up I find the love of Christ.The love of Christ is one of those gifts that we share with others too. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving!And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Ephesians 3:19

  Nothing can take that gift of love away from us either.

  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39

• Unwrap the Gift of Grace.
  Another thing we can unwrap is the gift of grace. Through Christ we have access to that wonderful grace that’s given to us. Not a gift we deserve but because of Christ we can have it.Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1,2But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. Romans 5:15

  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:7

• Unwrap the Gift of the Resurrection.
  This is one of those gifts that it’s worth getting excited about. Without the resurrection of Christ, we have nothing.And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 1 Corinthians 15:17When we unwrap this and dwell on it awhile and really think about how much it does for us as Christians, it makes you want to shout, jump up and down, or maybe even do a cartwheel or two!

  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:56,57

  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3