“Merry Christmas.”

The gift is laid into your hands. A small, flat box. It doesn’t look like much. Doesn’t weigh much. Isn’t even wrapped as you expected.

The tag on the top says,

“Because I love you, and because I knew you needed this.”

Inside is a check written out to you, with numbers bigger than anything you’ve ever seen before. All you’ll need to do is deposit that slip of paper, and you can pay off all the debt your living has piled up plus you will have all you need for the future. You’ll never have to worry about resources again. Just deposit it. It’s yours.

Because the giver loved you and knew you needed it.

Now I know that this little story is not quite a perfect story of Christmas. There are many other things that most of us need and long for, things that cannot be bought with any amount of money. But this does illustrate exactly what happened on the night we now commemorate as Christmas: someone you did not even know at the time gave you a gift, because he loved you and because you need it.

That gift is
release from your prison,
the gift of sight,
a wonderful counselor,
a mighty God,
a father who supplies all you will need,
and a sovereign who holds all the keys to peace.

The gift makes it possible for you to climb out of the hole of debt you thought you’d never be able to escape.

The gift opens the door for you to have and enjoy everything that was previously out of your reach.

The gift makes possible all that you long for but that has always seemed impossible.

You could work all your life, but you know you’ll never earn this.

You also know you’ve never done anything to deserve this.

But this gift is placed in your hands now.

I hope you open it, savor it, delight in it,

and let it change your life. 

Because you are loved. And because He knows you need it.

.