It Is His Birthday
One Christmas my husband and I were to host our Sunday School class Christmas party. We decided that since we would be giving gifts to each other, why not try to present a gift to Jesus? We began looking up scriptures to see what kind of gift He would be pleased to receive. Some of the scriptures we found included these:
"The prayer of the upright pleases him" (Proverbs 15:8).
"Let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise...And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased" (Hebrews 13:15, 16).
We decided to select one of the verses to do as a group as our gift to God at the Christmas party.
About twenty from our class gathered in the family room after dinner. Before the exchange of gifts to one another, we read several of these verses and my husband suggested that we select Psalm 69:30, 31 to do together as a gift to God:
"I will praise God's name in song, and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs."
We were hoping for some spontaneous praises for God's gifts of answered prayer. What occurred was even better. Someone asked, "Would it be all right if I read a poem I just happen to have with me?"
Of course it was. He began to read:
"Digger of oceans, polisher of stars,
Hanger of planets and Healer of scars...."
Every word of the poem exalted Christ. His voice broke during the reading and our eyes filled with tears. We knew our gift had been accepted.
Since then I have enjoyed taking time during the holiday season to offer my gift to the Lord-a gift of my time in which I gratefully and humbly worship.
Jesus, I want You to be at the top of my Christmas list.
"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift" (2 Corinthians 9:15).
Here is the poem we read at our Christmas party:
Digger of oceans, polisher of stars
Hanger of planets and Healer of scars.
Sparrows' Mortician and Passover Lamb,
Feeder of ravens; Condemner of sham.
Cana Wine-Maker; Creator of light,
The Author who gives glad songs in the night.
Lover of children, Dispeller of dark.
Designer of blooms and soft willow bark.
The leaves' Architect; Songwriter for birds,
Clean Rose of Sharon and Keeper of herds.
Thunder-Exploder on cloud-shrouded peaks,
Painter of sunsets and babies' pink cheeks.
Maker of heroes, those out of the wild,
Dry desert Gardner and Bethlehem's Child.
Weaver of rainbows and bottler of tears,
Tinter of orchards and tulips' bright spears.
Galilee-Walker and calmer of waves,
Full Seed of David; Conqueror of Graves.
Sower of springtimes and Breather of wind,
Calvary's love-gift to all who have sinned.
Larzarus-Raiser and Magdalene's friend
Captain and Guide at the river's last bend.
Gadarene's Escort back home from the tombs
Builder of mansions with Heavenly rooms.
Abraham's Fruit Tree; Gethsemane's Door;
Christ, All-sufficient...and more, so much more.
Heaven's Attraction...the main Citizen,
The Church's Bridegroom, the endless Amen!
~Attributed to Charles Hastings Smith
Aletha
