What was on your Christmas list?

What a privilege!  Sharing with hundreds people on Christmas Eve - trying to help all the activity of Christmas connect spiritually with people on the night before Christmas.  The fun thing for me is that it didn’t end on Christmas Eve, God was still sharing with me the next day.  Letme’splain...

First, you need know (if you don't) that I'm a pastor, and on Christmas Eve our church has 3 services. And you need at least a thumbnail of my evening message:

• Making Christmas lists - there are things we want which you can’t go out and buy, there are some things which society can’t give you.  That is what Christmas is about, God giving what the world can’t give.
• There is a biblical promise that God will give you want’s on your Christmas list.  Here’s the biblical phrasing “God will give you the desires of your heart.”  But there is some “fine print.”

Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.   Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.   Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.  Psalm 37:3-5

• It’s part of a package deal, and as we trust, cultivate, delight (worship), and commit our list gets better, and we are more ready to receive what God can entrust to us.... if you want to hear the whole message (about 20 minutes long) be my guest....DRC Media Player

But here’s the deal, I admit that my dad and I have tool issues.  And as a result, if I put a tool on my list, my dad can’t help but to buy it.  But this year I didn’t put any tools on my list (actually, I didn’t really make a list - sorry family).  Those who wanted to give me presents did a great job.  But then I was blown away by the present from my parents.  In a little box was a slip of paper with a picture of a generator on it.  Yep, a generator - now maybe that isn’t top on your list, but for someone looking to build a cabin in the woods it is perfect!  I really wanted a generator, but I knew it was more than I could reasonably ask for or expect.  And I hadn’t even asked for one...

My parents are not God, they are great people, but like all of us, perfection has yet to be attained.  But what a follow up to my thought of the reality that the closer we get to God, the more we receive the desires of our heart.   My relationship with my parents is close, close enough that they know what I’m into, what I want (could really use) even without me specifically asking.  

If this is true of earthly imperfect parents, how much more so of our heavenly Father?  It doesn’t mean I get everything I want, when I want it - refer back to “God is not Santa Claus”  but the more we trust, cultivate, delight and commit - the closer we are to God, the more we receive the desires of our heart.  This is something the world cannot give. Indeed, a Merry Christmas!