Daily Devotional for December 3, 2021
God’s Gift
“What’s on your Christmas list?” Mia asked her brother.
Elijah looked up from the paper he was writing on. “A new bike helmet, a skateboard, knee pads, a space station building set, and a remote-controlled car.” He tapped his pencil on the table. “I might add a new board game. What did you write?”
“I want a phone and a phone case, string lights for my room, a jewelry box, and some owl earrings.” Mia held up her list written on pink paper with a silver gel pen.
The next day, Mia and her brother visited their grandmother at her home across town. Grandma had lived there for forty years, the last two by herself after Grandpa had died.
“What do you want for Christmas, Grandma?” asked Mia. “We’re shopping for gifts tomorrow.”
“You sure could use a new recliner,” said Elijah. “That one looks pretty old!”
“Or a new pillow for behind your back,” added Mia.
Grandma laughed. “But these old things are comfortable. They know my shape.”
“Well, tell us what you do want,” said Mia. “Write a Christmas wish list like we did!”
Grandma smiled from her worn leather chair. “Goodness, Mia! I’ve already been given the only gift worth having.”
“What do you mean?” Elijah asked.
“One of my favorite Bible verses, John 3:16, talks about it.” Grandma held on to Elijah’s and Mia’s hands as she recited the verse. “‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ Now, what better gift can you receive than living forever with God?”
“Who gets that gift?” Mia wanted to know.
Grandma squeezed her hand. “God offers the gift of eternal life to everyone! All you have to do is accept it—kind of like how you’d accept a present someone gave you by unwrapping it.”
“How do you accept God’s gift?” asked Elijah.
“By believing in God’s Son, Jesus, who died for our sins—the wrong things we do—then rose again to be our King forever. When you trust Jesus to save you from sin, He gives you eternal life with Him.”
Mia thought about her pink paper back home. “I guess that tops anything on my Christmas list!”
-Bonnie Carr
How about you?
Do you have a Christmas wish list? What kinds of things are on it? It’s fun to think of gifts you’d like to receive for Christmas, but remember that any gift you find under the tree will eventually break or wear out. There’s only one gift that lasts forever—God’s gift of eternal life. Have you accepted that gift? If not, trust in Jesus today! (To learn more, click the “Good News!” button in the right column.)
Thank you for reading this Keys for Kids devotional! Did you enjoy the story? Has Keys for Kids been an encouragement to you and your family? If so, would you please consider supporting Keys For Kids Ministries in our effort to continue to provide these daily devotionals to children around the world?