Daily Direction Reading PlanSample

When it comes to gift-giving, the better gifts are not things like sweaters, jewels, or money. The better gifts are intangible, like showing love, appreciation, and commitment. The very best gift of all is the one we get from God when we embrace His Son, Jesus Christ. Paul the apostle told the Philippians, chapter 3, that he had discarded all of his religious attainments because of the gift He got from Christ. He said, "Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus as my Lord. For His sake, I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead." Paul had a burning desire to fulfill God's purpose for his life. Like an NBA player who envisions a victory ring on his finger and persists to win one, Paul visualizes what lies ahead. He says one day, our Savior will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own. That hope spurs God's people to live for Him each day, to share the Good News of God's love and His offer to forgive sin, and work for peace and justice in our world. They know that one day, we will receive our eternal reward.