Dan and Mary, McFarland Hereford Farm, 1972
Romans 3:24 GNT
But by the free gift of God’s grace all are put right with him through Christ Jesus, who sets them free.
Thanks to my mom’s shopping, I had a gift to give my Daddy. Oh! I was so excited for him to receive it! I could hardly contain my excitement. It was so hard to wait! I just wanted my Daddy to open his gift. I finally couldn’t take it anymore and proclaimed, “I got you a present! I can’t tell you what it is, but you are going to smell sooooooo gooooooood!” Needless to say, I’m pretty sure he (and you) figured out what was inside the box!
How much more eager and excited is Jesus for us to receive his gift? He knows He has a way better gift than after shave! I could hardly contain my enthusiasm, but also, my Dad was a good receiver. Dad didn’t turn away and dismiss my offering. He didn’t disparage the gift. He didn’t leave the package unopened, and I didn’t find it in the trash moments later. Yet, there are so many in the world that have done these things to the free gift of eternal life given by Jesus. We scoff. We walk away. We malign. We fail to receive or we think we have to pay for it! I would have been crushed if my Dad had done any of that with the inexpensive simple gift I offered him, and I wasn’t even humiliated, beaten, or killed to get it! Jesus’ gift is sacrificial, priceless, and eternal. Paul wrote in Acts 20:35, “Lord Jesus himself said, ‘There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.’” I for one don’t want to deny Jesus His happiness! Do you? Receive His precious gift today!
