What can delivery drivers teach us about the great gift bringer?

We'll look at that in just a bit.

Good morning and welcome to the show.

I'm Daniel Dalp and this is for your Sunday morning drive.

We're the short podcast to offer you some drive and encouragement on your way to worship or whenever you listen.

And I'm certainly thankful that you are.

Regardless of when you joined us, I hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas and that Santa brings you all the best gifts.

And Speaking of gifts, wow, what a transition.

If you're looking to get get something for that special podcast host in your life, might I suggest sharing the show with a friend?

I'd certainly appreciate it if you did.

Well, let's get the show on the road today.

This is episode 88.

Our finest gifts we bring.

Let's go to church.

Are we there yet?

Thursday, the sun will rise on Christmas morning and many families, mine included, will be gathered around the Christmas tree to open gifts.

Thankful, of course, for those that have given the gifts and made them possible.

But do we ever pause to be grateful for the gift bringers?

Maybe it's a family member, maybe it's jolly old Saint Nick himself, or maybe it's an overworked, exhausted Amazon driver.

Yes, we owe a great deal to the gift bringers.

Kind of the modern day wise men.

Over the last three years, my kids and I have established what has quickly become one of our favorite new holiday traditions.

We put a Christmas tree on our front porch, bake some cookies, and then put them in a cooler under the tree.

Then we hang a sign on our front door that reads the following.

To Amazon and other delivery drivers, please help yourself to some cookies.

Merry Christmas and thank you for all you do to make this time of year merry and bright.

Now, our favorite part of this tradition is to sit back and watch on our doorbell camera as smiles appear on the faces of those who come to drop off our packages.

I'll be sure to share some of those videos on the website.

And the purpose of this yearly service project is twofold.

To teach my kids how to spread some Christmas cheer by giving and serving others, and to say a much deserved thank you to the gift bringers.

As I was thinking about that earlier this week and finally having the last Christmas package delivered by one such delivery driver, I felt that relief that comes from finally having the Yuletide shopping done.

And it makes me think about just how much we have to be grateful for.

Indeed, what would we do without the gift bringers?

Well, tis the season.

So let's shift our focus to the gift bringers that deserve our eternal Thanksgiving, our God and our Savior.

What is astounding is that God is both the source and the bringer of all good gifts.

James 117 says every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow gifts, by the way, that we are in no way deserving of whether we are naughty or nice, we're undeserving.

Now it is well beyond impossible to try and cram a list of all the gifts brought and given by our great and glorious God into a 6-7 minute episode.

So let's just take some time and look at the greatest and the best of them.

John 316 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have ever lasting life.

You see, God gave the greatest, most costly gift imaginable, His Son.

And he didn't stop there, because that gift he sent, Jesus brought with him a gift just as valuable and just as necessary to mankind, salvation, eternal life.

Romans 623 For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What a great gift bringer.

What an amazing gift.

And Paul said it best when describing the gift of grace and salvation in 2nd Corinthians 915.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.

Yeah, we are so blessed, but how do we then show our thanks for the great gift of heaven?

The wise men brought the Christ child gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

But how do we ensure that, as can happen this time of year, we don't don't just discount the generosity of the giver and the faithfulness of the bringer.

Well, Scripture tells us we show thanks by giving him our all, our everything.

Romans 12/1 and two says.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

We say and give thanks by offering up our lives to Him, every word, every thought, every step, every intention transformed in and through Him in devotion and worship.

You see, our thankfulness to a God that sent and to a Christ who came should be reflected in our understanding of this truth.

That one of the greatest truths that Scripture teaches about God's generosity is this.

He did not merely give something, He gave himself.

And when it comes to gifts, what more could we possibly ask for?

Well, those are my thoughts for your Sunday morning drive.

Now it's time to hear yours.

Our discussion questions for this week are what are you thankful for this Christmas?

In what areas can we better show our gratitude towards God and Jesus?

And who can we tell about the great gift of His mercy and grace?

I hope you have a Merry Christmas.

Thank you so much for listening and I'll see you Sunday.