Daily Devotional for December 22, 2011

Psalm 147:7-12
Celebrate and sing! Play your harps for the LORD our God. He fills the sky with clouds and sends rain to the earth, so that the hills will be green with grass. He provides food for cattle and for the young ravens, when they cry out.

The LORD doesn't care about the strength of horses or powerful armies. The LORD is pleased only with those who worship him and trust his love. Everyone in Jerusalem, come and praise the LORD your God!

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

Every one of us most likely knows the words to the Christmas carol, “The Little Drummer Boy.” In one verse, he says, “Baby Jesus…I am a poor boy, too. I have no gifts to bring… to lay before the King.” The only thing the drummer boy can offer is a song on his drum… and that is plenty. My grandmother recently recalled how wonderful it was to receive her Christmas stocking as a child… filled with walnuts, an apple, and an orange. In a family where money was more than a little tight, those were big treats to my grandmother and her siblings... and a tradition she continued into my own childhood. My fondest memories of Christmases past are not of the gifts received as much as the time spent with my family and friends.

In this season of extravagance… of blown paychecks and maxed-out credit cards used to buy gifts we can’t afford, we need to remember what is really important. God doesn’t care what Santa Claus brings you… what kind of car you drive or whether you have the latest smart phone. He is not impressed that you may be able to afford to give your family and friends the “Christmas of their dreams” and spend thousands of dollars on extravagant gifts.

God is more impressed when you spend time with loved ones, make a donation to a charity or someone in need, or visit a shut-in. He is more pleased when you offer to babysit for a stressed out mom, walk the dog of an elderly person when the weather is bad, or spend an hour in prayer for those who are in need of a special touch from Him. God beams with pride when you are patient and courteous to your checker and those in line with you in this busiest of retail seasons… when you knock on a neighbor’s door with a plate of holiday goodies or a beautiful plant - “just because”. In short, God cares more about what you give from the heart than how often you open your wallet. He wants you to share His love with your gifts… not show how much money you can spend. He wants you to impress HIM… and nobody else.

God can afford to give us everything and anything our heart desires. With a simple wiggle of His finger, God could make us billionaires… or bums. The point is… God gives us everything we need – and more – according to His will. We cannot outdo God. And frankly, we cannot impress Him! But we can praise God and shower Him with love and celebration. We can honor Him with everything we say and do… and give Him all the glory for every gift… no matter how large or small it seems.

This Christmas Season, let’s concentrate more on sharing God’s love and less on sharing what we can buy. Let’s be impressed with HIM… and less with ourselves. Let’s celebrate the One who always gives good, perfect gifts… and trust Him to always meet our needs – at Christmas and every day of the year.

©2011 Debbie Robus