A Christ-Centered Christmas Doesn't Have to Be HardSample

The Magi's Gift of Gold

One morning during my quiet time with God, I came upon Matthew 2:11. “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.”

As I meditated on this passage, God began flooding my mind with many different thoughts. The Holy Spirit prompted me to look closely at the three gifts the wise men brought to baby Jesus. I strongly felt the Lord was saying, These gifts are very important. They are the same gifts my children can offer up to me.

Almost immediately, God reminded me of something my son and I had learned during his homeschool Bible class when we were studying the Old Testament, beginning with Abraham and ending with the Israelites entering the Promised Land. I felt prompted to go back to Exodus and read the specific instructions God gave Moses for building the tabernacle. I suddenly remembered that gold, incense, and myrrh were all used for different purposes in the Tabernacle.

In the Old Testament, God’s dwelling place among His people was in the tabernacle, also referred to as the temple. God’s Word tells us that through Jesus’ death on the cross and His saving grace, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God then dwells within us; we become His temple.

Pure gold was one of the common elements found in the Old Testament tabernacle. Is it possible that purified gold holds special significance in the temple of God?

I believe the answer is yes.

Taking a closer look at the refining process for gold will provide us with further insight.

When gold is found in its original form, it is coated with a black film. The process for refining gold begins by the refiner placing the gold over heat from a fire. As the gold is heated, the black film melts away revealing the gold’s more familiar appearance. However, even in this state, the gold contains many impurities. In order to remove the impurities, the refiner must heat the gold to an even higher temperature, causing the impurities within to rise to the surface. The refiner then skims the impurities off the top, bringing the gold to its purest state. Here is the cool part: the refiner knows the gold is in its purest form when he can see his reflection in it.

Does this sound familiar?

When we first come to Christ, we seldom resemble a child of God. God accepts us as we are with all our impurities. But hopefully, after some time, we begin to take on the appearance of God’s children. We begin to learn how we should be living our lives through the study of God’s Word, prayer, worship, service, and fellowship with other Christians. But even then, God is by no means finished with us. We still have a deep-rooted sin nature that He wants to bring to the surface and remove from our lives. Just like the refiner of gold, sometimes God must turn up the heat in order to accomplish this. It’s one of the reasons why we go through trials and difficulties in life, even as Christians.

Although we may not be able to refuse the refining fires of God, we can refuse to be transformed by them. God respects our free will and will not force us to change. Ultimately, God wants us to become a reflection of Him, a reflection that can be seen by all who look upon us.

What an awesome gift we can give to Jesus—our lives refined into pure gold, shining forth His reflection.

Personal Reflection

• What are some of the refining fires that God has had you undergo in life?
• In what ways have those refining fires transformed you?
• What character traits has God has forged in you that more clearly align with the character of Jesus?

Prayer

Father God, your fires of refining can be difficult to go through, but I never want them to go to waste. Help me be able to come out of life’s challenges and difficulties transformed, reflecting a clearer reflection of your Son. Amen.