There are some of you reading this right now who are panicking.

It’s less than 48 hours until Christmas. There’s still one or two gifts you need to buy. Someone just popped into your head you realize you didn’t purchase anything for.

Look, I’ve been there. We’ve all been there. And honestly I’m right there with you right now.

It’s no sin to buy a present at the last minute. The act of giving a gift – even if it’s one picked up at Christmas Eve at Rite Aid – is a beautiful thing.

The best gifts though, the ones we truly cherish, the ones we remember for years and years are the ones someone plans out for us.

Has anyone ever given you a gift like this? Or have you ever given someone a gift like this?

Sometimes you think up the perfect gift months before December 25. You pick it up and put it away knowing you’re going to win Christmas this year

Or sometimes a gift you want to give takes work to prepare. It takes time and effort to craft and get ready.

If you’re lucky at one point in your life you’ll have someone give you this kind of gift. The perfect present. The one you’d never buy or make for yourself but someone who loved you knew would be just right for you and was gracious enough to do what it took to get it.

Whether you open or offer a gift like that this Christmas, let’s remember that we already have one.

The gift of Jesus was not some sort of last minute solution. It was a not some haphazard shot in the dark. It wasn’t something God came up with on a whim on a panicked shopping spree.

The gift of Jesus was something God had planned out far in advance. We can tell because of who God sent before him:

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as witness, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but eh came to bear witness to the light. (John 1:6-8)

The arrival of John the Baptist is just one of the many indicators of God’s incredible, intricate plan for salvation of His people. 

This isn’t a traditional Christmas verse. But it is a reminder of how the gift of Jesus Christ was perfectly crafted for us – planned through the ages, prepared for in every way, delivered at just the right time.

Every word of the Scripture points toward this truth. We ought to be reminded of it every time we read the Bible and not just during the month of December.

If you haven’t taken the time to appreciate God’s perfect gift amidst the insanity of the Christmas season, if you’ve forgotten just why it is you’re supposed to be joyous instead of greedy and selfish, if you’ve let your doubts and worries drown out the Voice of the holiday, if you could use a miracle right about now then believe this:

The good news is God is always offering His Gift. Despite the complexities it is the type of gift which can be accepted even at the last minute.

As the Christmas season comes to a close and you find yourself stressing about that one last present, have faith in the Father whose perfectly planned out present indicates His constant and loving presence in our lives. Forget your flaws and failures and find peace from this minute forward.

Thanks to all of you who’ve followed along or read even just one of the 12 Blogs Of Christmas this year. I hope it helped you get into the Christmas spirit as much as it did me. If you missed any of this year’s posts you can click here to check them all out. And if you liked what you read please consider subscribing to the blog and liking our Facebook page so you can keep up with more content seeking God’s presence in the present in 2016. Merry Christmas to you and yours!