The Wise Men's Gifts
Matthew 2:9-11
Follow God's plan for your life and you'll receive more gifts and blessings than any holiday could provide.
Tomorrow, most of us will gather to open presents and spend time with family. While we love getting gifts, it's often more fun to see the reaction of a loved one as they open the gift you gave them. Yet not all gifts are enjoyable. Have you ever received a gift that you either could not use or was not really a gift? Traditionally, fruitcake has been cited as an unwanted gift, yet with the changing times comes new "bad gifts".
According to a 2008 Galaxy Research survey conducted with 1,242 people aged thirteen or older, socks, blenders, and books are listed most often as the worst gifts. Most people don't want to seem selfish or ungrateful though as only thirty-three percent stated they'd take the gift back to the store. Yet fifty-six percent of people said they would re-gift such items if they received them for Christmas. Despite sixty-nine percent of people saying their gift-giving abilities were above average, just about seventy-two percent of people stated they regularly receive a bad present.
I'm sure right now you can think of some "interesting" gifts you've received through the years. Whether it was kitchen appliances, household cleaning items, oddly-sized clothes, or knick-knacks, we've all been the recipients of gifts we would not have chosen. Yet notice the first gifts given on Christmas, "When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh."
The wise men gave baby Jesus gifts of meaning, worth, and symbolism. They gave of their best, realizing the significance of Jesus' birth. This was more than simply a holiday or ceremonial celebration. This birth marked a new era in Israel's history, the fulfillment of God's promise thousands of years earlier.
As you finalize your plans and pick up the last few gifts on your list today, take a moment to think about what you plan to give Jesus. What does He receive from you? After all, He is the reason we have anything to celebrate tomorrow. Without His birth, the holiday festivities are empty and meaningless.
So what will you give Christ? Some have given expensive gifts, some have given what little they had, others have given everything. No earthly gift wrapped and placed under a tree could be enough to thank God for His gift, yet He does desire one thing from you-your life.
All God asks is that you live your life to honor and glorify Him. He desires that you do everything to please Him, obeying His Word and telling others of His gift. Other deities require physical service or ritualistic actions from believers, yet God asks that you give him your life and live to honor Him.
None of us will perfectly honor God every day this next year, but we can make God's glorification a priority in our lives. Rather than living for self and personal goals and desires, determine to live for God. Follow His plan for your life and you'll receive more gifts and blessings than any holiday could provide.
Daily Bible Reading
Habakkuk | Revelation 15
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