- Morning Devotional
- December 13, 2003
- "Pa Rum Pum Pum Pum"
- by Don Emmitte
Those who say they
live in God should live their lives as Christ did. Dear friends, I am not
writing a new commandment, for it is an old one you have always had, right from
the beginning. This commandment--to love one another--is the same message you
heard before. Yet it is also new. This commandment is true in Christ and is true
among you, because the darkness is disappearing and the true light is already
shining. (1 John 2:6-8 NLT).
Emerson
wrote, “The only gift is a portion of thyself." The title of today’s devotional is the chorus from a very familiar
Christmas story and carol. Perhaps you remember reading "The Little Drummer
Boy" to your children as I do. The fictional story tells about a poor
shepherd boy who went to visit the Christ child on the day of his birth. When he
arrived, the boy realized that other visitors presented the baby Jesus and his
parents with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but the shepherd boy had no
gift due to his impoverished state. The only possession in the world the child
had was a small handmade drum, and so, the little drummer boy gave the only gift
he could give out of the pureness of his heart. The young shepherd picked up his
drum, and as he looked in wonder at the Christ child, he played the best song
ever; a drum solo inspired by the opening of his own heart.
The story never fails to remind me
of an essential truth. The message it conveys is not only very real, but of
great importance. The gift of self is a most precious gift, indeed, because it
is not a gift that can be purchased easily with money, but requires the time,
energy, and heartfelt sentiments of the giver. For example, every mother knows
how her heart leaps when her child presents her with a hand-drawn card, offers
her a hand-picked flower, or gives her that old kindergarten standby, the noodle
necklace! I don't know about you, but that silly noodle necklace was more
precious to me than diamonds or pearls! This, my friends, is a gift of love. It
is a gift of self.
There are birthday gifts and
Christmas gifts. There are gifts of fruit, chocolates and flowers. However, the
most precious gift known to all of mankind, is the gift of love from our
heavenly Father presented all of us when He allowed His Son, Jesus Christ, to be
a living sacrifice for our sins. Our Creator did not "have" to do
this, but He loved us so richly as individuals, that He gave to us the greatest
gift He could give. The gift of love. The gift of self.