Rebel 5

Isaiah 55:2

Christmas in years past has been a time of giving our children popular toys and games that they have wanted. They begged for this new gadget or that popular item. But there have been so many years where we bought the latest fad, the hottest item on the shelves, only to have the toy fall apart after just a few days, or be neglected by our children in short order because the FUN just didn’t last very long.

As our children have grown older the gifts have been just as much desired, but tend to be presents that will last. The gifts are fewer but are better investments.

In this passage from Isaiah we have a simple message from God. What question does God pose? What does God suggest instead?

Like the toys that are short-lived, the food at the holidays can be overly sweet and extra rich. Taking in too much of these empty calories can leave us all feeling sick instead of joyful.

The same can be true of our attitudes at Christmas. If the holiday is a celebration of things – what we can get, what we can buy, what we can surround ourselves with – then the season can leave us empty. If our efforts and work are all spent on the temporary decorations and rushing here and there, we can end up with an emptiness inside.

Rather than focus on temporary things, we ought to rebel against the temptation to spend and buy and fill our lives with empty items. Instead we should focus on the real gift of Christmas, Jesus Christ. In that gift from God are everlasting love and a soul-satisfying contentment that comes with the salvation Jesus provides.

God wants us to eat what is good, and He is not just talking about food. He is talking about taking in, consuming, holy and spiritual goodness, consuming the love and grace He offers. God wants us to stop wasting our labors on those things that are fleeting and momentary, and spend our time in more lasting endeavors such as strengthening our own faith and sharing love and caring with others.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What can you invest your time and energy in this year that will give you lasting satisfaction?