Day 3 - Week 4 - John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."

"For God so loved the world that He gave....."

Gave - to bestow a gift...how would that read..."For God so loved the world that He bestowed to them a gift."

Think of all the gifts that you've been given in your lifetime.  Your favorite Christmas gift as a child, your most treasured gift from your spouse, your most precious gifts from your children.  They are all memorable, as they should be...but in all honesty, how long will they last?  At best, they will last for this lifetime.

Compare that to the gift that God gave us when "He gave His one and only Son." 

The gift, unlike any other, that provides forgiveness of our sins and imparts to us the Holy Spirit to live within us while we are still here on earth.  Acts 2:38, "Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'"

The gift, unlike any other, that changes our lives from mortal to eternal.  Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

In my growing up years, we were always taught to write thank you notes for special gifts.  When your grandmother sent you a present, you sat down and wrote a thank you note.  Wedding gifts absolutely required a thank you note.  Thank you notes were "proper etiquette."  But a formal thank you note, that was written without any love behind it, was just that...a mere formality done to satisfy the rules of etiquette.  God doesn't want our formalities in expressing our gratitude.  He doesn't want empty words...so how do we say "Thank You" for the greatest gift ever given?

I think Paul summarized it well in Colossians 3:12-17  "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

When we live lives like Paul described in those verses, then I think we can also join with Paul in this thank you note for the best gift we have ever received...."Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!"