Month: December 2020

One of the most difficult aspects of 2020 has been the lockdowns and social distancing measures that have been implemented to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Being separated from friends and family is never pleasant. Being separated during holidays is even more frustrating. Thankfully, technology has allowed us to stay in touch and celebrate special occasions through virtual get-togethers.

God’s love isn’t something we experience virtually. It’s tangible in the sense that we see it in everything from the kindness of strangers to the majesty of the Milky Way. God’s love is so vast that Paul described it as more than we could ever imagine. That’s saying something!

God’s greatest expression of love, of course, was sending His son, Jesus Christ, to earth for the purpose of being the sacrifice for our sins. Believe it or not, the partridge in a pear tree in the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is symbolic of this most excellent gift. Unlike most other birds, partridges are known to make their nests on the ground, not in a tree. And compared to other animals, partridges also exhibit an unusual degree of commitment to their mates over their full lifetime.

When we think of someone who came down from heaven to dwell among us – and then demonstrated an unnatural loving commitment to all people – our thoughts naturally turn to Jesus. The fact that the partridge is found in a pear tree also reminds us that, even though Jesus was first laid in a manger, he would one day be laid in a tomb after dying upon a cross hewn from a tree.

The partridge in a pear tree symbolizes Jesus Christ, the best Christmas gift ever! It’s also the only gift given on every day of the traditional twelve days of Christmas, which reminds us again of the important and special nature of this gift.

With 2020 now in its final month, it’s clear this has been one of the most difficult and challenging years in recent American history. There’s no need to catalog the many. many societal and personal conflicts we’ve witnessed and experienced this year. As we look to 2021, the question in everyone’s mind seems to be this: “Will next year be better?”

One of the great things about Christmas is that it comes at the end of the year. It’s something we can look forward to throughout the year and, for many, the joy of the Christmas season carries right over into the New Year’s Day holiday. It’s fitting that a holiday with such a deep spiritual meaning as Christmas should come at a time when we reflect on the current year and look ahead to a new year.

One of the purposes of writing My True Love’s Gifts was to help people reconnect with God at this time of year. The traditional twelve days of the Christmas season spans from December 25th through January 5th. If you want to really deepen your relationship with God over what amounts to less than two weeks, check out the daily devotionals in this book and see God’s loving generosity revealed.