Today’s Verse
“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
2 Corinthians 9:15
The Gift That Cost Everything
The wrapping paper has been torn open. The presents have been unwrapped. Christmas Day has come and gone, and now we’re left with the aftermath, full hearts, full stomachs, and perhaps a lingering question: now what?
Yesterday, we celebrated with gifts exchanged, meals shared, and joy abundant. There’s something beautiful about the generosity of Christmas, the thoughtfulness, the surprise, the tangible way we show love to one another. But today, as the excitement settles and life begins to return to normal, we’re reminded of something crucial: the gift we celebrated yesterday doesn’t end today.
God didn’t give a gift meant only for December 25th. He gave His Son, not as a one-day celebration, but as an eternal reality. The Creator of the universe looked at humanity, broken, lost, unable to save itself, and gave the most costly gift imaginable. He wrapped salvation in swaddling clothes and laid it in a manger. He presented hope to a desperate world in the form of a baby who would grow up to die so we could live.
This is the gift that changes everything. And here’s what makes it different from everything else that was under the tree: it doesn’t lose its value when the season ends. It doesn’t wear out, break down, or become obsolete. The gift of Jesus isn’t just for Christmas Day, it’s for every day. His presence, His peace, His power, His promises, they keep giving, keep sustaining, keep transforming long after the decorations come down.
Today, as Christmas fades into memory, remember: the greatest gift is still yours. Every single day.
Today’s Prayer
Lord, Jesus, You are the greatest gift, far surpassing anything wrapped under a tree, the treasure that outweighs every present we could give or receive.
Christmas is filled with gifts and generosity, but none of it compares to what You’ve given us in sending Your Son.
Teach me to keep this truth at the center of my celebration, that the real gift isn’t found in boxes but in the manger, in the cross, in the empty tomb.
You gave when we deserved nothing, offering salvation freely, wrapping redemption in swaddling clothes, presenting hope to a world desperate for rescue.
Help me respond to this gift with gratitude that changes how I live, giving generously because I’ve been given everything, loving extravagantly because I’ve been loved beyond measure.
Remind me that Jesus isn’t just a gift for Christmas Day but for every day, that His presence in my life is the gift that keeps giving, never running out, never losing value.
Give me a heart that treasures You above all else, that values relationship with You more than any material blessing, that recognizes true wealth is found in knowing Christ.
Let me celebrate today with wonder at the greatest gift ever given, Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, the gift that cost You everything and gave us eternal life.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.