Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Isaiah 40:1-2 "Comfort, yes, comfort My people!" Says your God. "Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the LORD'S hand double for all her sins."
THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
Christmas is known throughout our country as a season of giving. Even children see and understand this. I remember the Christmas parties that we used to have before Christmas break in grade school. The whole school would draw names so that every student would be able to bring a gift for another student. It was usually a small gift, but it was still a reminder of the gift our Savior gave us through His birth at Bethlehem, and His death at Calvary. It is because of this precious gift of a Savior that the prophet Isaiah is told to comfort God's people. They were assured that the gift of the long awaited Savior was coming and that He would bring much needed comfort to God's people. But this is no simple gift, this is a gift that keeps on giving.
When we had our grade school Christmas party, there was always a big present for our teacher. But when our teacher opened the present, there were many smaller presents wrapped individually inside! We have a similar picture given by the LORD in Isaiah. Our one big gift is a Savior, Jesus, but through that one Gift we also receive many other gifts by faith as well.
One of those individual gifts is that our warfare with sin, death, and Satan is ended since our Savior Jesus has won the battle against them. But there is more... Our iniquity is pardoned, our sin removed, and our guilt forgotten. What great gifts we receive through that one gift of a Savior! Surely we have been doubly blessed by the LORD. Through our Savior, Jesus, the LORD has given us a gift that keeps on giving in this life, and also into eternity! 