All around us we see people searching for just the “right gift” to give their spouse. “But thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15) You can’t receive any more perfect of a gift than to know Jesus in a personal way!
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of first fruits of all He created.” (James 1:17-18)
And the “Word of Truth” is JESUS!
“In the beginning was the Word; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” … “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.”
Receiving Your Gift
The question is have YOU personally received him as the gift God intends for you to have? If you haven’t, we encourage you to visit the Seek More posting on this web site. It’s important for us to note:
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of human decision or a husband’s will but born of God.” (John 1:10-13)
As we contemplate giving each other gifts this Christmas, may we remember the greatest gift God gave. He gave us Himself —in the human form of His son JESUS!
We encourage you to get to know Him in a more personal way than ever by making the time to read His Word, the Bible (if you aren’t doing so already). We know this is a busy time of the year. But don’t miss out on your most important appointment of all!
Receiving God’s Gift Waiting for You
“As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For He says, ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor; now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:1-2) “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.” (Isaiah 55:6)
You can neglect a lot of things, but please don’t neglect your relationship with your Living Savior!
If you don’t have a Bible, ask your spouse for one this Christmas. Or maybe it’s a gift to give yourself. Or dust off the one you have if you haven’t been reading it. Don’t wait until the first of the year to start reading. Start as soon as possible to learn the treasures it has in store for you to experience.
It’s important to read God’s word because God uses it in your life to guide you as you spend one-on-one with Him. It can also help you in your marriage as you truly apply what the Bible says about everyday living.
Filling Your Heart with God’s Love
As author Gary Thomas says (which we personally know to be true):
“Personal worship is an absolute necessity for a strong marriage. It comes down to this: If I stop receiving from God, I start demanding from others. Instead of appreciating and loving and serving others, I become disappointed in them. Instead of cherishing my wife, I become aware of her shortcomings. I take out my frustrations with a less-than-perfect life and somehow blame HER for my lack of fulfillment.
“But when my heart gets filled by God’s love and acceptance, I’m set free to love instead of worrying about being loved. I’m motivated to serve instead of becoming obsessed about whether I’m being served. I’m moved to cherish instead of feeling unappreciated.”
So don’t forget your time of personal worship, including reading God’s word. Take in all of the nourishment and help it has for you —especially in your marriage. The most perfect gift you can ever experience is to know Christ in a more personal way. The Bible will help you to do that.
The Perfect Gift
The following is an inscription that William Nesbitt Jr. put in the front of the Bible he gave his wife 59 years ago (featured in a past Marriage Partnership Magazine article titled, “The Perfect Gift”):
To Bernice at Christmas 1947: There are so many things I want you to have this Christmas, but I couldn’t possibly give you all of them. I chose this gift because it can do more of those things than I can, and do them incomparably better.
I’d like always to be there to help you, but in this book lies the answer to your every problem. I want to comfort you when you’re sad, yet what greater comfort is available than that which you can find within these pages? I want to give you strength in your hours of weakness, but I couldn’t begin to give you the strength you’ll find here.
Greatest Happiness
It gives me pleasure to make you happy, but this gift is the source of the greatest happiness you’ll ever find. I want to be your friend, but here you will find the staunchest of all friends. Most of all, I want to help you accomplish the task God put you on earth to do. Within the covers of this book you will find the tools, the instructions, the pattern, the teacher, and the friend that will help you accomplish this task much better than I can.
What else can I give you that will do so much? It can be with you when I can’t, help you when I don’t know how, and speak to you words of love and comfort more eloquently than I’m capable of doing. It can give you strength to minister to others, and the part of this book you store in your mind will forever be an invaluable resource.
All these things you know, and you would have gotten them anyway. But to furnish you with the medium through which they’ll come brings me happiness beyond description. I wish you a joyous Christmas, and a New Year of blessing as you follow the path God has planned for us to walk together.
With all my love, Bill
Giving Beautiful Gifts
We know that not all of you have spouses who will give a beautiful gift like this. And for that we’re truly sorry. We know it grieves the heart of God that many don’t understand how valuable it is to love Christ and LIVE CHRIST. But there’s nothing stopping you from going into God’s Word to receive the benefit of knowing Him better. However, you have to apply what He prompts you to do. Even if your life is chaotically busy, God can show you how to find snatches of time to gain spiritual nourishment even while you’re “on the go.”
“I’ve seen a constant formula at work in my life. The less I receive from God, the more I demand from my wife. But the more I receive from God, the more I am set free to give to my wife. The best thing you can do for your marriage is to fill your soul with God. Start defining disappointment with your spouse as spiritual hunger, a cosmic call to worship. Marriage is a wonderful institution. But it is limited. It can’t replace God. Don’t ask it to.” (Gary Thomas, Devotions for a Sacred Marriage: A Year of Weekly Devotions for Couples
)
We hope you won’t.
Cindy and Steve Wright
— ADDITIONALLY —
To help you further, we give a lot of personal stories, humor, and more practical tips in our book, 7 ESSENTIALS to Grow Your Marriage. We hope you will pick up a copy for yourself. (It’s available both electronically and in print form.) Plus, it can make a great gift for someone else. It gives you the opportunity to help them grow their marriage. And who doesn’t need that? Just click on the linked title or the picture below:
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