Time 3

Hosea 6:6

We have a wide variety of ornaments on our family Christmas tree. Many are gifts from other people. Some are antiques from my childhood. Still others are ornaments our children created when they were very young.

All of them are important to us. They carry with them the memories of years past, the memories of family and friends, and the recollection of the time and effort our children put in to making the ornaments they created.

The celebration of Christmas can be summed up with this attitude. Christmas is a reminder of the love God has for us. It is a reminder of the love we should have for each other, and it is an opportunity to share the gift of time with others.

The greatest gift of Christmas is the gift from God of Jesus. It is a gift of mercy, for Jesus came to offer peace and salvation to all people.

This passage from Hosea encapsulates the idea of Christmas and is referenced by Jesus himself in Matthew 9:13. What does God desire?

It is not important to God how much money we invest in our churches or in our lives. It is not important how much we spend on one another or what we possess. What is important to God is mercy. And the “sacrifice” referred to in Hosea and Matthew is the sacrifice of animals and grain (and, therefore, money) by faithful believers. The sacrifice God desires is the sacrifice of our time and emotions.

The same is true at Christmas. It doesn’t take a great deal of money to make for a happy holiday. The cost of the gifts exchanged at Christmas does not make the gifts more valuable. What is important is that we sacrifice time at Christmas.

We need to give time to one another. We should give time to those in need, and give time to loved ones. We should also give of our time to God.

This Christmas we can give a gift back to God by giving the gift of our time and mercy. If we are willing to sacrifice part of our busy schedules to give some time in being in the presence of God, we will be presenting God with a very precious gift.

Let this holiday be a time for you to share mercy and a time for you to acknowledge God. This type of gift is far more valuable than any amount of money you might spend.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you give mercy as a gift this year?

We Seek Him 1

Hosea 6:6

We have just recently celebrated Mother’s Day and soon we will be honoring fathers as well. As we think about holidays where we give gifts we may be struggling with exactly what we are supposed to give to that person who will receive the gift. It is always nice to get a gift that is exactly what you wanted, something that fits your needs or desires perfectly. However, I believe what is most essential is not the specific gift, but rather the idea that you took time to think about that gift and remember the recipient.

We encounter Jesus in several different ways in our faith. We are invited into communion with God. Sometimes we need the help of God. And other times we realize that we need to have that relationship so we seek Jesus.

As we look at how we enter into a relationship with our Lord we can ask ourselves what it is that we are supposed to bring to this encounter. Are we supposed to give expensive gifts? Are we supposed to act like someone we are not? Are there certain words we need to speak?

In truth, although God can use the gifts we bring and there are certain words we may use as we worship the Lord and pray to God, the most essential part of encountering Christ is our attitude. Hosea offers a message from God. What does God want? What does God not want?

If we truly want to encounter Jesus there aren’t any special tricks or rituals we need to perform to have that relationship. Instead, we need to come to the Lord with a willing heart and a soul that desires to be in unity with Christ. To achieve that, we must begin with a heart of mercy. We must come to Jesus with a humble attitude acknowledging that God is the Almighty One who is to be honored and praised.

We can’t buy a place in God’s love. We can’t sacrifice enough things in our life to make God reserve a place for us. God wants us to be loving and caring, humble and merciful. God desires that we should desire the relationship that He wants to have with us.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you be certain to have the right attitude when you come to God?