“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.” Matthew 2:11
So often when we see Nativity scenes, the wise men from the East are pictured around the manger. But according to the record in Matthew, they did not come to the manger but to a house where Mary and Joseph were residing. They brought gifts of immense value to present to the child Jesus. I am sure that God had them bring these gifts so that Mary and Joseph would have provision for the journey they must soon take. God knew exactly what would be needed.
Now that Christmas is over, a lot of people will be looking at the gifts they received and heading back to the stores to exchange them for something different. That sweater was the wrong size, or they might like a different colour than what was given to them. Whatever the reason, they did not get what they anticipated and so they were disappointed, instead of being thankful.
Sometimes we react like this when we pray to the Lord for something. When He doesn’t answer us the way we expect, we are unhappy that He did not give us exactly what we wanted. He did not promise to supply all our wants, just our needs. Instead of thinking of what we didn’t get, we need to remember the countless blessings God gives us without us even asking.
I hope that everyone reading this had a wonderful Christmas. I hope you were able to gather together and celebrate with family. I hope you received some gifts that made you happy, and more importantly, that you were able to bless others.
I hope that we all are thankful for the best gift that was ever given, when Jesus came to earth to bring us salvation. This gift is one we value and appreciate and have no desire to exchange for something else. There is nothing in this world that can replace it. His love and His grace are all we need.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your great gift of salvation. Help us to value it and to live a life that is pleasing to you.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
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