I am not a big fan of “Everybody Loves Raymond” but I do watch some episodes. I was reminded of one episode recently. Raymond goes to the basement with his mother and there are stacks of unopened gifts that had been given to them over the years. There was a microwave, an electric knife, a DVD player and many more.

I was helping a friend pack to move and in a closet we found a pile of gifts that had been partially unwrapped and stuck on a shelf. “I remember giving those gifts to my son” she said, “it was that Christmas he had broken up with his girlfriend, he must not have taken them with him when he left.” There was a camera, a watch, cologne and other items still in their original box and many even had wrapping paper attached.

God has given us a gift. The gift of salvation. I went to dictionary.com and found a definition for gift as “Something that is bestowed voluntarily and without compensation”; then I found 2 definitions for salvation: (1) Preservation or deliverance from destruction, difficulty, or evil. (2) Deliverance from the power or penalty of sin; redemption.

God sent his son, Jesus Christ to die a horrendous death as payment for our sin that we may live eternally in heaven with Him. This is gift is given freely, we have only to accept it; but like my friend’s son and Raymond’s mother we often pull the wrapper back, glance inside, then place it out of sight and forget about it.

This gift is very precious and is to be treasured. I like the way Jude 1:3 is expressed in “The Message” Dear friends, I’ve dropped everything to write you about this life of salvation that we have in common. I have to write insisting–begging!-that you fight with everything you have in you for this faith entrusted to us as a gift to guard and cherish.

I have on a display shelf in my home a doll that was given to me by my grandmother when I was a young child. I cherish this gift, I treaure it, and I display it for all who enter my home to see. My gift of salvation is something a I cherish and treasure and hope to display to all who see me.

How about your gift from God? Have you received it yet? And if so, is it still wrapped and on a shelf in a closet? If so, isn’t it time you accepted the gift completely as given and put it to use in your life? God loves you and wants you to know Him.