The day after Christmas: You had a wonderful time with family and friends, the food is now gone, the gifts have been opened and the laughter has ended.
All is quiet and peaceful this morning, yet, something is not quite right. What is it? You enter the living room where the Christmas tree stands so bright and beautiful. But now the tree stands alone. There are no colorfully-wrapped packages waiting to be opened. But, wait ... under the tree you notice something.
Partially hidden by the decorations you find a small box wrapped in plain brown paper. Probably an empty box missed during cleaning. How strange - no bow, no shiny wrapping and no name on it. Someone must have left it there by mistake. How could we have missed it? What is inside this box, is it empty? No, it feels heavy. Maybe it is a joke or a gag gift? Better not open it, you wouldn't want to have others laughing at you. You finally decide to leave the box alone, under the tree, right where you found it. You found the gift unopened. Today the gift remains unopened. How long will the gift remain unopened?
Would it make a difference if you knew the giver of the gift? The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). And we open His gifts by placing our faith in Him. Will you open God's gifts to you right now? His gifts are of love, forgiveness, peace, joy and eternal life. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, offers true peace to everyone-a peace that no one can take away. That is a gift you should open and enjoy every day.