The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas by Ann Voskamp Read Free Book Online Page A

together they happen to have a son. Named Obed. Which happens to mean “servant” —what union with your Redeemer always makes you. And Obed happens to have a son named Jesse, who has a son named David, who becomes the greatest king Israel has ever known.
    Until David’s line brings forth a King . . . named Jesus.
    “The Holy Ghost thought fit to take particular notice of that marriage of Boaz with Ruth, whence sprang the Saviour of the world,” writes Jonathan Edwards. “Wemay often observe it, that the Holy Spirit who indited the Scriptures, often takes notice of little things, or minute occurrences, that do but remotely relate to Jesus Christ.” [15]
    Every little thing is going to be okay because God is working good through every little thing.
    All that’s happening is happening to make miracles. The mundane is what’s making miracles.
    God comes through mangers. The mundane holds miracles. Every little thing is going to be okay —you have a Kinsman-Redeemer who takes you and is redeeming everything. The miracle of gifts is always unfolding under the impossibles.
    “Joys are always on their way to us,” assures Amy Carmichael. “They are always traveling to us through the darkness of the night. There is never a night when they are not coming.” [16]
    The miracle of gifts . . . is never not coming.
    When your Father’s hand isn’t readily apparent, it’s only because He’s readying gifts. Gifts always come out of the unseen and hidden places.
    It’s a miracle itself —how you don’t have to order a Christmas miracle. The miracle of Love is happening all around you.
    Christ coming freely, willingly, now —coming unseen into everything.

    Write a card of thanks to someone in your church family today, or pick up the phone and give a lonely person a call. How can you be part of bringing a small miracle to someone in the family of God today?

    The spirit of Christmas needs to be superseded by the Spirit of Christ. The spirit of Christmas is annual; the Spirit of Christ is eternal. The spirit of Christmas is sentimental; the Spirit of Christ is supernatural. The spirit of Christmas is a human product; the Spirit of Christ is a divine person. That makes all the difference in the world.
    STUART BRISCOE

    Like Naomi, do you sometimes miss the love all around you? Name some of the people who have been faithful Ruths for you.
    What little things eat away at you, worry you?
    Your life may be devoid of brazen miracles, but God is at work in the little things too. What events have “just so happened” to come together in a way that indicates God is behind them?

People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
    1 SAMUEL 16:7

    The LORD said to Samuel . . . “Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king. . . .
    “Take a heifer with you,” the LORD replied, “and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the LORD. Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint for me.”
    So Samuel did as the LORD instructed. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town came trembling to meet him. “What’s wrong?” they asked. “Do you come in peace?”
    “Yes,” Samuel replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.” . . .
    When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the LORD’s anointed!”
    But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
    Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “This is not the one the LORD has chosen.” Next Jessesummoned Shimea, but Samuel said, “Neither is this the one the LORD has chosen.” In the same way all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has