Billy could hardly sleep the night before his birthday! How he wished he knew for sure that Mother and Dad would give him what he wanted most of all the next day—a dog!
What fun it would be to have a dog all his own! They could play together, go fishing together, and be real pals. Billy could think of lots of tricks to teach a smart dog. He could even sleep on the foot of his bed at night if Mom didn't mind... and just about that time Billy fell asleep.
The next morning without waiting to dress he almost flew down the stairs. There at his place at the table were some packages, on his chair were some more, and on the floor was a big one... big enough to hold a small dog! Dad was at the table already, and with a big smile he said, “Happy birthday, Son! It looks like you'll have a whole day's job unwrapping presents!”
Billy's fingers seemed to be all thumbs in his eagerness to open the big box first. Suddenly the box moved a bit... “Woof! Woof!” came a puppy's bark! In a few seconds a happy Billy was hugging the little dog that he had decided to call Pal. Running to first Mother and then Dad, Billy gave them each a good hug and said, “Thank you!”
After the other gifts had been opened, too, Dad had just a few moments before he had to hurry to work. Opening his Bible he said, “Billy boy, what is the best gift you have received?”
Billy answered promptly, “Pal!”
“God has a Gift for you too, a better Gift than Pal. It is the greatest Gift in all the world,” Paul said, ‘Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable Gift.’ Your Mother and I pray each day that you will receive that Gift. Do you know what that Gift is?”
Billy looked puzzled so Father went on, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,' that is God's Gift to you. God gave Him to die on the cross for your sins, Billy. He took your punishment. Then God says, ‘that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)).
After a few moments Billy said, “I would like to have God's Gift. May I tell Him so?” Then Billy bowed his head and prayed, “Thank you, God, for sending Jesus to die for me, and thank you, Lord Jesus, for taking away my sin.”
Then Father prayed, “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable Gift.”