I was two years old when I received my first Cabbage Patch doll. It was back in 1985, during the height of the cabbage patch craze! My Aunt Tammy bought it for me. I loved it! That doll, along with my Carebear, Raggedy Ann, and Winnie the Pooh were my favorite childhood toys. Such great gifts!
Advent is about preparing for the coming of a wonderful gift. Our God sent his one and only son, Jesus, to earth to offer us the free gift of salvation through his great grace and mercy. No greater gift has ever been given! (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8)
Do you remember the wisemen? I always found that part of the Christmas story so fascinating! Probably because they came from far away lands, and I have a wanderers heart. 😉 Can you imagine the looks on their faces when they arrived and saw how God had chosen to come to us? Such a humble Savior! But it’s also interesting to me that they were called from those far off lands to bring gifts. They brought him gifts fit for a king! Gold, Frankincense and Myrhh.
Here is some information I found about the significance of those gifts:
In addition to the honor and status implied by the value of the gifts of the magi, scholars think that these three were chosen for their special spiritual symbolism about Jesus himself—gold representing his kingship, frankincense a symbol of his priestly role, and myrrh a prefiguring of his death and embalming—an interpretation made popular in the well-known Christmas carol “We Three Kings.”
As this year comes to a close, take time to reflect and look ahead. How can we bring our Savior gifts of “gold, frankincense and myrhh”?
Bring him Gold. Determine to honor his kingship in your life. Let him lead. Fall under his rule. Submit to his authority. He is a good King and will work for your good and his glory!
Bring him Frankincense. Study Jesus’ ministry and follow his example. Love God and Love others. Reach people where they are. Intercede through prayer on their behalf. And don’t be afraid to go against the norm when obeying the voice of the Father. We are all ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Your life is the greatest example of who he is and what he can do to change a life and give salvation, meaning and purpose.
Bring him Myrhh. “Jesus lived with death on his mind” – quote by Ray Hughes. He knew that his time was short and that he had a mission to accomplish. Let’s resolve to live our lives the same! Stop waiting. stop holding back. Our time on earth is short. Go after God and the purposes and dreams he has put in your heart. They are for the builing of his kingdom. And it is in that grand kind of faith and passion that you will discover what it is to truly live!
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