The Gifts Beneath God’s Tree
“May the God who gives endurance…” Romans 15:5 NIV84
The most important Christmas gifts cannot be purchased with cash or credit cards. Even limitless funds can’t buy true love or lasting happiness. Gifts like the forgiveness of sins, eternal life, contentment, joy, and peace cannot be purchased. Yet, God gives us these very gifts freely in His Son, Jesus Christ. In a real sense these are Christmas gifts, because they were fulfilled in the coming of Christ that first Christmas.
In Romans 15:4-13 Paul describes various gifts beneath God’s tree. We can think of this tree as a Christmas tree–remembering, however, that this tree shed its needles and became the old rugged cross.
The first gift Paul mentions is ENDURANCE. The Greek word for endurance means to remain under; that is, to bear up under difficult circumstances without giving up or giving in.
Here the apostle is not offering a locker-room pep talk like “tough times never last but tough people do.” Indeed, the endurance of which Paul speaks has nothing to do with human strength and everything to do with God. For He is “the God who gives endurance.” And He gives us endurance through Jesus Christ.
In Hebrews 12 we are encouraged to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (NIV84)
Do you need endurance? It’s yours for the asking, gift wrapped and waiting beneath God’s tree—the cross.
Lord Jesus, grant us the gift of endurance that we might patiently endure the difficulties in our lives. Amen.