Stocking Stuffers

Hebrews 9:26 ...But now he (Jesus) has appeared once for all...to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Last year Santa ran into a bit of a dilemma. After running all over town and traipsing through a good portion of the world wide web, he was too tired to place but a few items in my stocking. Our Christmas morning tradition is to open stockings in reverse age order, youngest to oldest. When my turn I arrived, I "oohed and aahed" over each of the items in my stocking though their number was far less than those previously opened. Noting the lack of goods Santa dropped my way, Clara inquired, "Mommy, weren't you good last year?"

This morning the passage is Hebrews 9. This chapter further expands on the theme of Christ's perfect sacrifice. I laugh when I remember that Clara thought my lack of stocking stuffers equated to a lack of goodness. My true stocking isn't hung by a chimney. Nor is it filled by a mythical figure on the basis of my placement on the "nice" list. Each morning I open my heart to the Savior. He fills it with treasure even Bill Gate's bank account could never purchase. I open it each day because an annual filling would prove far too infrequent.

In this chapter, the author lists many of the things Jesus stuffs in my stocking that hangs on the mantle of my heart.

• Redemption (Verse 12)
• A Clean Conscience (Verse 14)
• Freedom (Verse 15)
• Salvation (Verse 28)

Jesus, you died not because I was good but because You are perfect. No other sacrifice would have been enough to cover my mountain of sin. Thank you for filling me each morning. The treasure in Your pack is priceless.