This Is Christmas

December 1, 2004 - It is just before Christmas, but perhaps you don't care anymore. Something has happened, and now you find no joy or meaning to your life. Perhaps the most you look for is some temporary form of escape.

by Ruth Bell Graham

Maybe you can't give anything. There's nothing left to give—or there's no one left to give to.

Listen.

What's Christmas all about anyway? Wasn't there a death, an emptiness, a need? Wasn't there a Love somewhere—infinite, eternal, unchangeable—a Love that gave His only Son?

That's what Christmas is all about: God coming to Earth in the Person of the Christ Child to do for you and for me what we cannot possibly do for ourselves.

Jesus lived among us and had the same kinds of problems that we do. You haven't a problem—and I haven't a problem—that He doesn't understand from close personal experience. He spent His entire life meeting human needs. He died on the cross to deal once and for all with our greatest need—redemption from sin.

This Christmas, God is asking you to come to Him. Bring your failures, your sins, your problems, your fears. Bring yourself.

This is Christmas: Redemption's glorious exchange of gifts!

27 Comments

Talya says 12.30.2012, 10:38 p.m.

Dear Lord,am young and confused...i get on track with you but it reaches a time i go offcose... Not that am naive...dear Lord what am trying to say z that u forgive me for i have fallen short of your glory...i do things which i end up regreting...forgivee me dear Father..amen...

Jo says 12.25.2012, 8:46 p.m.

Lord thank for everything. my thanks to you wont last forever and ever as long as you keep me still alive. thank you. thank you Lord. sorry for the bad deeds that i did and sorry for the bad attitude that i showed to others. Lord through your spirit and love you give to me, love also the people i know and i may dont know. THANK YOU LORD. I LOVE YOU LORD.

kai says 12.24.2012, 7:00 p.m.

May the Lord mighty continue save,guide and protect me and my family.I also pray for God to direct and lead me on the right path.

nestor says 12.24.2012, 1:30 p.m.

Amen.

Ikechukwu Daniel Ogu says 12.24.2012, 10:37 a.m.

I pray to God to cover my brothers and sisters with his blood, those travelling on dis xmass that my God will see them through. I pray as well that God will as well protect me over, and show me his way and favour till the day i will leave this country. Amen!

Nikhil says 12.24.2012, 09:40 a.m.

My loneliness are filled by my only lord Jesus .i m being directed by god to walk on the path which leads me to my eternal goal my lord Jesus.I am sorry for all those deeds which i think it was wrong and ask u for your forgiveness. Thank u

Friday O. says 12.24.2012, 09:10 a.m.

O God, give me the power to preach the gosple and take the spirit of lookwarmness from me. Also, I pray for all brethren to continue in faith and remain grounded and setteld with christ Jesus, Amen.

cassandra says 12.24.2012, 08:27 a.m.

God knows I need God right now cause IM think about given up on everything IM just tired

laverne says 12.24.2012, 08:26 a.m.

Lord i just thank you for being there for me keeping your hand upon me ur thee best father doctor provider that anyone can have amen....

Aubrey says 12.24.2012, 08:25 a.m.

Thanks Billy my motives are as grown as magnificent. Amen, amen I say blessed is your mother giving forth to such an Angelic spiritual human, you are. Thanks

noelia says 12.23.2012, 06:00 a.m.

I really appreciate all of Ruth's writings. Please

Mathias says 12.22.2012, 11:50 p.m.

I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God who died for my sins, rose from the dead, is alive, hears my prayers and helps me. Thank you Jesus for coming to me, to redeem me from sin. Amen

Valeda Tolbert says 12.22.2012, 9:40 p.m.

Well said , it is beautiful-we should read more often to remind us of the greatest gift of all and it is free to everyone-let Christ live in our heart's always!

Christine says 12.22.2012, 9:29 p.m.

What a wonderful reminder. Thank you for sharing. When we are down, we need to just look up to Jesus.

John says 12.22.2012, 9:16 p.m.

True,and it is in John 3:16 that the whole concept of Christmas is also explained in simplistic terms in a nutshell.Though many a heathen find it hard to perceive the truth of how God could become flesh,the truth remains that believing in Jesus Christ is the key word.There's no greater love than this.

Susan C says 12.22.2012, 7:57 p.m.

I love the Lord!!!

Terrie says 12.22.2012, 6:16 p.m.

Thank you I needed that...I feel like such a failure, my self-esteem is affecting my life...at work...I am afraid that I will fail .or that I will be rejected or criticized...so I do not want to try something new...I am doing my practicum.

SUE says 12.22.2012, 5:40 p.m.

THANK YOU LORD FOR THESE WORDS. I NEEDED THEM

Amy says 12.22.2012, 5:13 p.m.

Mrs.graham said it well.she was a very wise lady.

Ronnie says 12.22.2012, 4:25 p.m.

What great timing of this post

Linda says 12.22.2012, 4:09 p.m.

This is what it is all about:

Teboho says 12.22.2012, 4:03 p.m.

For GOD so loved the world HE gave his only SON.so christmas is an vital important day for us to receive JESUS.satan hates dis day knowing wat happend to it.

Cheryl says 12.22.2012, 3:38 p.m.

Amen!!! The best gift that can be received has already been given and that was the Gift from God sending us our Savior Jesus Christ.... Christmas is to celebrate this gift and I celebrate this gift everyday because he is who I live for My Savior.

Mary says 12.22.2012, 3:36 p.m.

Amen.

Marian says 12.22.2012, 3:29 p.m.

Thank you so much for this reminder as I was feeling so low today, with a recent death in the family on one side and strained family relationships on the other, and my husband having to work and huge financal burdens I just wanted it to go away.

akeem says 12.22.2012, 3:26 p.m.

thank you for this powerful reminder that has brought us into view with the integral reason for the celebration of Christmas..HIS love is everybody's gift this Christmas.

Shane says 12.22.2012, 3:24 p.m.

I pray that my family members and friends that don't know JESUS as LORD and SAVIOUR that the HOLY GHOST of HEAVEN will reveal to them of their lost condition, AMEN