I’ve always been fascinated by the three wise men in the Nativity story. When I was little we had a manager scene under the tree with the baby Jesus, animals in the barn and three men worshipping at His cradle.
These three men are called the “wise” men; they were the spiritual advisors to the king of Persia. Magi are the root word for “magic”; they were members of Persia’s royal priesthood. They watched the signs in the sky to determine their plans and direction and the star was their compass to locate Jesus. The Lord used something that they were accustomed to draw them to Him - and today the Holy Spirit still desires to draw all men to Him. Spiritually, these three men represent the unbeliever coming to Christ.
The gifts of the magi are so precious. They each represent our own personal gifts we can give to Jesus: Gold symbolizes royalty, making Him the King of your life. Frankincense is coming to Him in prayer and laying your will down on the altar of incense. Myrrh represents giving your life to Him, even unto death.
Many of us may not be called to be a literal martyr for Christ, but we are all called to die to ourselves daily. I urge you to check your heart; are there things you are still holding onto that need to be submitted to Him?
In order for us to move forward in the New Year, we need to let go of some of our old ways. You can’t get to a new place without first leaving the old. For example, Elisha had to leave his plow to follow Elijah, the disciples had to leave their homes, occupations and families to follow Jesus, Joshua had to cross over the Jordan to get to the Promised Land. Everyone had to leave the familiar place to get to the new phase of their journey.
When you move out of the old and into the new you are positioning yourself for a blessing. By offering the gift of obedience to the Lord, it will put you in line to receive God’s blessing. Job 36:7 says, “If they OBEY and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasures.”
Have a wonderful Christmas!!
