Receiving God’s Gift of a Year

Christmas is a clear reminder that our God is a giver of gifts. He is our heavenly Father who gives us good gifts. God graciously gives us his Son, Jesus, that through his death and resurrection we may receive forgiveness and eternal life. This giving of his Son follows through to the giving of the Holy Spirit to his people, to us, the body of Christ. God’s giving is triune: God the Father gives the Son, the Son gives himself on the cross and then after he rose again gives the Spirit. Three persons, one God, all giving in unity together. Spending time with our families, our spiritual family (church) and our earthly family in gift giving points us back to our God who gives.

One way to prepare ourselves to receive the gift of Jesus at Christmas is to look back at the year that is just gone. Giving thanks for 2024 is an act that shows us that the year 2024 for each of us was a gift from God. Now the gift of this year has come in many shapes and forms for each of us. Some may look back with fondness at the year now gone. Others will look back at the year and in some ways be glad that it is over. Regardless of whether this year has been mostly good or mostly trouble, the year is still a gift from God. Paul reminds us to ‘give thanks in all circumstances’ (1 Thess 5:16). We don’t just give thanks for the good things. We give thanks in all circumstances. As we give thanks to God for the gift of Jesus, we can prepare ourselves in this way by giving thanks to God for 2024. Just as Jesus is God’s gift to us, so 2024 has been a gift from God that we receive as we give thanks.