December 16, 2024, Devo

December 16th, 2024

“It’s All About Jesus!”
The Birth of Jesus – The Magi
“They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” – Matthew 2:11 (NLT)
“Costly and Useful”

The Wise Men brought gifts to Jesus. Not just ordinary gifts. Precious gifts. Gifts worthy of a King. They wanted to offer Jesus a symbol of their recognition of Him. A symbol of honoring who He was and the position He held. So they gave Him gifts that were costly.
They had no way of knowing that those gifts would also be incredibly useful for Mary and Joseph. Soon they would be instructed by an angel to flee Bethlehem and go to Egypt where they would have to wait until King Herod died. Only then would it be safe to return to their home in Nazareth. The gifts of the Magi would help to cover their costs for that time in Egypt. The costly gifts were also useful gifts.
Costly and useful. Camp on that thought today. What gifts might we give our King that would be worthy of who He is and also useful for His purposes? Perhaps gifts to causes or ministries that are dedicated to carrying out the work of God. Or maybe gifts to people who are going through a difficult time and could use a helping hand. I remember our family receiving such a gift many years ago when we were caring for my sister’s family as well as our own. A family in the church showed up a week before Christmas delivering several bags of groceries. They had no idea how badly we needed that and how humbled and blessed we were to receive it.
Other costly and useful gifts might be giving some time to sit with some shut-ins to let them know they are not alone and not forgotten. Another might be offering to run errands or do some shopping for someone who has had surgery recently and can’t get out. Or how about making a call or offering to meet for coffee with someone with whom you’ve been at odds? An olive branch of forgiveness or an offering of a heartfelt apology are wonderful gifts that Christ enjoys us giving in His Name.
Christmas is often about simply giving a gift so you can check a person’s name off a list. But let’s not do that with Jesus. Let’s take the approach of the Wise Men this year and give some gifts that are truly worth giving. Gifts that are costly and useful. That’s God’s Word for you today.