DIRECTOR'S BLOG

Dr. Sam Martin

“… they fell down and worshiped Him and when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him…” Matthew 2: v 11

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,

Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;

Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,

In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;

Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.

In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed

The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,

Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;

But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,

Worshiped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;

If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;

Yet what I can I give Him? Give Him my heart.

I am sure you have heard many messages on this old Christ Carol which first appeared in 1906, written by Christina Rossetti, and just for a few moments I want to try and answer the question ‘What can I give Him?’ and that relates to the Lord Jesus, To be honest, I have spoken on this many times, but the Lord has laid something as fresh as the snow on my heart and I want to share it with you and it may sound strange, but I pray it will be a blessing. What can we give God this Christmas?

1. Give Him your broken Heart! My friends, sometimes we fail to appreciate what is happening in people lives, or how they feel. As we celebrate Christmas, perhaps we need to realize just how much God loves us! This week I began too realize just how tough this time can be for so many people. In a gathering last week I listened and looked around and I heard and saw:

• A Lady who had lost her father just a few weeks ago and she shared how she was struggling with that, and what was going on in her life.
• A husband, Father … in tears as he shared his recovery from severe depression.
• A Pastor, going through a tough time in the Church - broken.
• A wife whose husband had just died suddenly – a broken heart.

My friends, I wonder if there is someone reading this who heart is breaking and for whom Christmas has lost its joy. Listen to these words:

Psalm 147:3 ‘He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds’ Then Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted.

‘What can I give him … I’ll give Him my broken heart.’

2. Give Him your broken body/spirit: So many are afraid. Health has not been good, getting older and all that comes with that. Perhaps you are here and you are in pain, your spirit is wounded bruised by life … why not come and give it all to Jesus, Listen to these words: Acts 3:16 ‘By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.’

My friends, God loves us, that is why He sent His only begotten son into this world - for you and me. He promised to never leave us, he encouraged us to ask anything in His name and today we ask:

‘WHAT CAN I GIVE HIM? Can I simply say: Give Him your broken heart, give Him your broken body and spirit and then you will have a: