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Thursday... This is such a special time of the year.


Thursday... This is such a special time of the year. It really is.

Do you love the songs of Christmas? Joy to the world. That's a great song, isn't it? 

The Psalmist in 2:12b (NLT) writes, "But what joy for all who take refuge in him!" And that is so true! I prayed for five in my family who headed off to school this morning. One who is an Executive Director, one who is a School Counselor and three who are students. And each one of them take refuge in Him because they have a relationship with Him. What joy that is even in the major unrest in our schools.  Do you have that joy today.?

And then over in Ephesian 2:8 (NLT), "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this, it is a gift from God." It is a tremendous gift from God. 

I love to give gifts. I love to watch people open gifts especially those that I have taken the time and effort and money to buy something that hopefully excites them. And I know that is true of God. It excites Him when we believe and accept His salvation. That is a tremendous gift from Him. 

Paul continues in verses 9, "Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." We can't boast about any gifts that we will get on Christmas day. We didn't do anything to get them. Someone else did all the work and effort to give you that gift. Yes it may give you great joy but it also gives them great joy to give it to you.

He goes on, verse 10 says, "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." 

What if we would open the gift and then throw it off to the side and then say, "Oh that was nice, what's next?" But we do that all the time when we don't accept the greatest gift that has ever been given to us. This gift is a masterpiece that was paid for by God's Son giving His life and then coming to life.

So what a joy there is to accept and take refuge in this masterpiece that God has given to us. 

Verse 7 says, "So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus." That is such, such a tremendous gift! Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning


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