The Upper Room Daily Devotional – “The
Source of the Gift” Monday, 2 December 2013
Read James 1: 17 Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from
above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation
or shadow due to change.[a] 18 In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us
birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of
his creatures.
Footnotes:
James 1:17 Other ancient authorities read
variation due to a shadow of turning(NRSV)
[God’s beloved Son] is the image of the
invisible God, . . . in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.(Colossians
1:15, 19 (NRSV))
God chose to come to earth in the form of
a human baby. How awesome! Instead of coming full-grown and in a dramatic
fashion, as a superhero, Christ came quietly into the world in the weakest,
most vulnerable form — dependent on a human parent for food, protection, and
loving care. Why did God choose to send Christ to earth as an infant? If we had
been planning the event of the arrival of God’s son on earth, we would
certainly have taken the superhero method, with fanfare and drums. Only God
would have thought to send Christ as a baby. But again we ask, “Why?” God chose
to identify with our human condition and to experience life from an earthly
perspective — facing temptation, hunger, fatigue, weakness, suffering, and
death. So Christ humbled himself so that we could discover God’s true nature:
love. Christ came to show us how to live and how to love. As God’s earthly
children, we learn best by following an example; so God sent the best model,
the “perfect gift,” in a form that we could understand. How amazing is God’s
grace!(The Author-Ruth Moorer (New Mexico, USA))
Thought for the Day: God is with us.
Prayer: O God, help us to recognize you
in our midst. May we allow you to teach us and to show us the way to fullness
of life. Amen.
Prayer Focus: To see in Christ the love
of God
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