Jesus Joy: Jesus At The CentreIhe Atụ
Day 4: Treasured Gifts
One thing that makes celebrations such as Christmas, birthdays, christenings and anniversaries extra special is when you get (or give) a gift. When Jesus was born, the wise men followed their worship with the presentation of gifts; in fact, the act of gift-giving was in itself worship, but it didn’t start with man.
In the beginning, God gave light, God gave water, God gave vegetation, God gave mankind, God gave in abundance. Have a look at Genesis 1 to see the surplus of gifts that God gave. And even though man fell and sinned, God gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as a gift to restore us back to Himself.
God is the greatest giver - you simply cannot out-give God. In so giving, God teaches us a great lesson. Both King David and Apostle Paul are amongst the great men of the bible who were wise enough to understand this and act upon it. David refused to give something to God that he hadn’t worked for, and likewise, Paul admonished the church to give generously, especially to the poor because in so doing, they are giving to God (since the people will, in turn, give glory to God).
The NLT tells us that the wise men “opened their treasure chests and gave gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh”, the woman with the Alabaster Box also gave of her treasure.
What are you giving to God today? Is He deserving of your treasure?
The presence of Jesus is a catalyst for joy, bonus blessings, and enables you to shine brights. In His presence worship flows unhindered and the one opportuned to enjoy such a presence gives freely. I pray that as we conclude this devotion today, that the presence of the Lord will surround you bringing you unspeakable joy and transforming you for good in Jesus' name.
This plan has been brought to you by Debbie Akinkunle in conjunction with Wisdom Truth Ministries. We would love to connect with you and pray for you; please visit our dedicated YouVersion page by clicking here. Share your experience with this devotional on social media using the hashtag #JesusJoyWithDebz
Banyere Atụmatụ Ihe Ọgụgụ A
The glorious event of the birth of Jesus teaches many lessons beyond the traditional tales of Christmas. This devotional takes a closer look at some of the events surrounding that holy moment and discusses how we can leverage the opportunities from the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ beyond the seasonal celebrations and into our everyday living.
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