Surprise Packaging

He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him. — Isaiah 53:2

Hariett has a real gift when it comes to gift wrapping. She’s given concert tickets tucked inside empty cereal boxes and jewelry disguised in old coffee cans. No empty container is off-limits. Hariett takes great joy in surprising people with off-beat packaging, and they never guess what’s inside.

What about you? Do you judge presents by the packaging? Have you ever been surprised by what was inside?

The children of Israel were anticipating the coming of the Messiah, and they had a certain image in their minds. They were awaiting the arrival of a military leader who would show up on the scene with a lot of fanfare. They were expecting someone who would demand attention and respect by His very presence. Can you imagine their confusion when the Christ child made His humble entrance into the world?

From the very beginning Christmas has been about precious gifts in unexpected packaging.

The Son of God entered our world clothed in the flesh of an infant. God’s plan to redeem and restore His people began with a newborn’s cry. It was the ultimate surprise gift.

• Scripture is full of God’s choosing to wrap gifts in mysterious ways.

From the heart of a king hidden inside of a shepherd boy to the Messiah in a manger to angels disguised as strangers, He is full of beautiful surprises. Let’s not miss a single one of them! It’s so easy to get caught up in appearances. We make snap judgments about people, about events in our lives, about the reasons why something seems to have happened. But when we do that, we can miss out on the best gifts. That grouchy neighbor could end up being a lifesaver, that loss of a job could be an opening to a new path, and if you’re Hariett’s friend, that Crisco can could hold something you just might like.

Let’s ask God to open our eyes to the beautiful surprises that are all around us.

Excerpted with permission from Devotions for Christmas, copyright Zondervan.

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Your Turn

We can miss it if we don’t look carefully. We can walk right by something beautiful that the Lord set before us just to give us joy and let us know that He’s with us. Let’s not judge His presents by the packaging! Let’s keep our eyes and spirits wide open during this Advent season watching to see what beautiful things Jesus does! ~ Devotionals Daily