‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬ — and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

Jesus was not the traditional gift that you unwrap and celebrate. His gift did not come wrapped in ribbon and bows but rather swaddling clothes. Our gifts may come disguised just like baby Jesus. It may take years of beautifully wrapped gifts for us to identify them. Over the years our gifts may change, or it may be that we change. God sees our potential through our gifts before the seeds are ever planted in our hearts. Will you make room in your heart for those planted seeds to grow or will you starve them?

In reading today’s key verse, be reminded of the precious gift God gave us through the birth of our savior, Christ Jesus. 

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for giving me special gifts, handpicked for me. I desire to make room in my heart to nurture the seeds you are planting in me for Your glory. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. 

@biblegateway @youversion

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

I want you to recall your favorite gift you received as a child. You were probably overjoyed with excitement and could not wait to use it. Now I want you to think about a gift you received as a child that was not what you wanted. You were probably ungrateful with a crushed spirit and could not wait to see if you could exchange it. Again, God knows what we will do with our special gifts He gives us Do you think you will nurture that gift, or will you forsake it?

Tara-Leigh Cobble with The Bible Recap says, Paul encourages us to use our gifts with love as the motivation. Otherwise all our good deeds are multiplied by zero or are harmful to the body. In today’s key verse we know that if we do not have love, we have nothing. I encourage us to be grateful for our gifts and steward them with love.

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for giving me special gifts, handpicked for me. I desire to use my gifts with love and motivation for Your glory. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

@biblegateway @youversion

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

My word for 2020 was “Refine,” which took on different meanings throughout the year, as reflected in various scriptures. I want you to imagine a beautiful box with a special gift inside. Now I want you to imagine God presenting this beautiful box as His special gift to you. Can you feel the anticipation begin to rise? Before you open the box, I want you to imagine how this gift was handpicked, specifically for you. Now I want you to think about your reaction. Keep in mind, God already knows how you will respond to this special gift. Do you think you will have a receiving heart or a rejecting heart?

As we read in today’s key verse, God gives each of us gifts to steward for His glory. How are you receiving and stewarding your gifts?

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for giving me special gifts, handpicked for me. I desire to use my gifts joyfully for Your glory. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

@biblegateway @youversion

Bonus: How is your Christmas Bucket List going? 

Take time today to meditate on this weeks’ scripture verses.

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬ — and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Acts‬ ‭11‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — ‭Then I remembered what the Lord had said: “‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?’ When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, ‘So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.’”

@biblegateway @youversion

God has given us the best gift we could ever receive through His son Christ Jesus. Take a moment to worship with God’s Gift To Us by Natalie Grant.

Take time today to pray for all the Soldiers that have served or are currently serving. As we are reminded of their selfless gift of service, take time to enjoy the song, A Soldiers Gift by Josh Turner.

John‬ ‭3‬:‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — He must become greater; I must become less.

This week we are celebrating the Advent season, a time of reflection and anticipation for the birth of our Savior, Christ Jesus. As we look toward a new year, Deborah, Ray, and I like to choose a word to focus on. Advent is about hope, love, joy, and peace. Some traditions may include selecting a word or activity for the day. As we savor this season I want to remind you of my 2025 word of the year, Humble. I have some short Bible verses that can easily be remembered to help us to stay humble. In our key verse, John instructs us that we must become less. 

Matthew instructs us to be last in ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭20‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — So the last will be first, and the first will be last.

Paul instructs us to give God glory in Philippians 4:20 NIV — To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for this sacred Advent season to reflect and grow closer to You. I humbly seek to Glorify you as I select my word for 2026. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

@biblegateway @youversion

‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.

This week we are celebrating the Advent season, a time of reflection and anticipation for the birth of our Savior, Christ Jesus. As we look toward a new year, Deborah, Ray, and I like to choose a word to focus on. Advent is about hope, love, joy, and peace. Some traditions may include selecting a word or activity for the day. My 2017 word of the year was “Flexibility,” which I used to guide me when my to-do list didn’t go as planned. I also made a mantra based off the word Joy, “Dance through life, seek joy in His presence.”

Choosing a word of the year can be what you want it to be. It can be as detailed as you have read this week or as simple as you want it to be. The important part is that we remember that word and or mantra throughout the year. With God’s help we can grow from that word. Deborah, Ray, and I have found it is easier to stick with a word for 365 days than it is a New Year’s resolution. Will you join us in this practice? What word or mantra will you choose for 2026? 

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for this sacred Advent season to reflect and grow closer to You. I desire to dance through this life and seek joy in Your presence. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

@biblegateway @youversion