The Most Precious Gift

God lives and works today. He is love eternal and He is waiting and longing for us to accept His love and give Him ours in return. When we really love a person, we enjoy being with him.

We look forward to his visits and we do everything we can to prepare for his coming. In the same way, we need to make ready for Christ's coming at Christmas time. For if we are prepared, all the riches of God's gifts and love will be revealed to us.

The following program by Basilea Schlink can help us with this special kind of Christmas preparation. Perhaps you know this story. There was to be a baptism.

The parents had invited many friends and were very busy greeting everyone and taking their coats. Then, when the time came for the child to be baptized, they couldn't find him. Finally, they found him dead.

He had suffocated under all the coats that had been piled on the bed. In all their busyness and baptismal festivities, they had forgotten the child, the true reason for the celebration. Isn't God calling to us, especially during these holidays? Let all your thoughts circle around My Only Begotten Son, whom I have given to you in My love.

In Him, you will find all of your happiness and help. Yes, it is as if God the Father has to beg us to love His Only Begotten Son. How much love and thanks do we give people for their love and for their presence? And Jesus? Do we want to give the child in the manger all the love that's in our hearts? When we do, then His heart will open up to us, and His love will flow into our hearts.

And then we will be able to bear one another in love rather than being bitter. We will be able to forgive one another in merciful love. And then the sign of our love will be that we surrender ourselves to Jesus in body, soul, and spirit, giving our whole life into His hands.

Let us remember to thank our Lord Jesus. He came as a child to the manger to go the way of the cross. And why? Only to bring us help, to bring us joy and happiness, to redeem our lives and to open the gates of heaven, and to transform our hearts and lives.

He is calling to us, If you love Me, I will come to dwell with you. So blessed is He who opens the door of His heart to this child. In Him we are secure and comforted in every situation.

Yes, in Him we can even give to others from the fullness of God's love, love for which our dark, cold earth is really thirsting. Here as child, to give Thee pleasure is my life's one single aim. Nothing else now will I treasure but to glorify Thine name.

You have been listening to a program written by Basilea Schlink of the Little Land of Canaan. To learn more about how God lives and works today, visit us at our website www.canaan.org. That's K-A-N-A-A-N dot org. If you contact us, we would be happy to send you a free inspirational booklet.

If you do not have access to the web, please contact this radio station for our postal address. God bless you.