An Unexpected Gift
Have you ever received a gift far better than you anticipated? God blessed my late husband with an unexpected gift, a wonderful surprise much better than what I had originally ordered for him.
I love ordering gifts online to save time. One year, disappointment came when the gift I ordered for Don was repeatedly back-ordered, due after Christmas. So, I scrambled for another, and again for his birthday. He loved what I picked out at the last minute. "I'm sorry, Hon," I apologized. The gift I ordered won't be here until next month."
He looked at me, "It's okay. We have each other, a roof over our heads, and food on the table. Very good, I might add!" He sat enjoying his master-level puzzle with gift wrap piled at his feet.
The delayed gift finally arrived on Valentine's Day. I came home from work to find a flat box on our doorstep and rushed inside. I set it up on the arms of a chair so he'd see it right away.
When he came home, he asked," What's this?" taking off his coat and boots.
"It's your Christmas gift!" I replied, "Open it!"
He loved the painting of a pastor preaching with Jesus and the prophets in the background. But another box waited inside the bigger one. As he opened it, tears filled his eyes. He gazed at a weary pastor sitting in his office chair while Jesus washed his feet. He appreciated both paintings, but God's encouraging gift meant even more. Sometimes, the best gifts are ones we don't expect.
Israel received an unexpected gift, too. In our passage, Malachi foretells the Messiah coming to His temple. However, he warns that this Messiah will purify Israel like a launderer's soap or a refiner of gold (v. 2). Indeed, the Messiah, Jesus, came first as a baby lying in a stone trough surrounded by animals inside a Bethlehem cave (Luke 2:12). John the Baptist, the initial messenger, tells Israel after 400 years of silence, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! " (John 1:29 NIV) As an adult, Jesus confronted corruption in the Temple courts (Matthew 21:12-13) calling them to repentance. Israel wanted a military leader to deliver them from Roman rule. Instead, they received the Savior they needed.
Jesus doesn't always meet our expectations, but He is the Savior we need. Jesus offers us hope, peace, love, and joy in a sin-filled world. He came to cleanse us from our sins and offer us new life. Do you know Him? If not, would you accept His marvelous gift for you?
Write unexpected blessings on small presents, and place them among your Christmas decorations. Open one each day leading up to Christmas and praise Him for His good gifts!
Questions for Reflection:
1. Have you accepted His marvelous gift for you?
3. What blessings have you received that you didn't expect?
