Gifts

“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

These men brought gifts to Jesus. They worshipped Him. I get the idea that they were in awe of this baby and the fact that they got to see Him.
Have we heard the story so much that we are no longer in awe of what this historical fact means? God incarnate stepped into time to redeem all who would receive His gift of salvation.

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” Romans 12:1 NLT

This is how we worship Jesus- with our lives.  And because we’re human, we often ask what we get in return. Besides salvation and a loving relationship with Almighty God, peace is just one of a myriad of gifts from Him.

“Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (…) Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:7, 9 NLT

Today we should thank God for our salvation, and the countless other gifts Jesus brings to us. We should offer ourselves to Him in worship and adoration. We can pray for opportunities to share with others the good news of life in Jesus.

“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people. (…) The poor will eat and be satisfied. All who seek the Lord will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.” Psalms 22:22, 26 NLT