As a child, I really don't remember much about the wrapping, bows and ribbons on the presents under the tree. What I do remember, is searching under the tree and looking at the most important part of the unwrapped present - the Christmas Tag! If my name wasn't on the tag, then I knew that present wasn't for me. But I also learned that who the present was from was equally important. I remember my grandmother didn't give us gifts very often, but I quickly learned that when there was a present from her under the tree, the only surprise would be,..."what color of socks did I get this year?" But there were certain people, namely mom and dad, who I knew would give the best gift they could afford for me. They knew me. They knew what I liked and they knew what I needed. 

I remember my first Christmas after I was married and moved away from home. I was very young and still was expecting something fun for Christmas from my parents. But nope, they knew me. They knew the plan God had for my life, so they got me something practical,  a set of commentaries. I vividly remember at the time how disappointed I was. I wanted something fun and exciting, not a set of books. But now, 40 plus years later, I still often grab one of this books to prepare a talk for people. 

This Christmas, I pray that you realize that God has a gift with your name on it. We're going to be looking specifically at Isaiah 9:6, and the names given to this gift given to us. Christ may not always be what you want, but He'll always be exactly what you need.