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In more than three decades of my Christian life, I have been blest by 2 types of Daily devos'
(matter not exceeding 500 words) in universal Christian literature. Not only those Devos'
which have a different theme everyday but also the ones which revolve around a certain
theme over a period of time, say a fortnight, have richly edified me. In fact, both
styles have their own inherent advantages. If the former style caters to the varying
spiritual needs of a christian from day-to-day, the latter aims 'to ground'
a child of God in a certain subject in order he derives the full benefits of the
deep insightful study of a certain topic, spread over a fixed span of time.
In my Daily devo page, I have consciously tried to go in for 'a blend of both the
styles' whereby within a constant theme, I would be aiming to focus on different
facets of it which admittedly is a closer imitation of the 'Constant theme' style
than the 'Varying topics' one.
As the month of December coincides with the Christmas season, in this month I intend to
dwell exclusively on all the topics revolving around Christmas using the visit of the
Wise man described in Matthew 2 as the base.
Let me wish you a happy and an edifying read… oh yes-MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF US!
Suresh Manoharan
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December 14th
Gift of Gold
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.-
Matt 2:11
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We had concluded yesterday’s meditation that behind each gift of the Wise men, there was a
latent meaning, all associated with the life of the Messiah. In a way each
gift- a silent prophecy in itself- typified the events to follow in Christ’s
life in this world and beyond.
So what does Gold signify? For one thing it symbolizes both nobility and royalty
(I Kings 10:1-13) and
what better way to honor the one who would perpetually reign
(Isaiah 9:6), than
with gold.
Gold’s value also lies in its incorruptibility. Irrespective of its circumstances’, gold would always
retain its purity. Oh, how many ‘acid tests’ (term used only in connection with
gold), the good Lord endured in his life in this sin-marred world, culminating
in the Cross of Calvary. And in all that, he remained ‘true’ to his Father.
His ministry too was mostly among ‘sinners’
(Luke 15:1-2) influencing them for good and not
vice-versa. That he hated sin but loved sinners was the feature, which
endeared him and his ministry to the public much to the consternation of the
Jewish religious leaders, who scorned ‘sinners’ and hence could not stomach
Christ’s style of Ministry.
Does he want also gifts of Gold from us, this New Year? While gold may be given to the Church as a token
of our love towards Him, more than Gold, he would want our bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and pleasing unto God
(Rom 12:1).
The great British admiral Lord Nelson was known for treating his vanquished opponents with courtesy and
kindness. After one naval victory a defeated officer strode confidently across
the quarterdeck of Nelson’s ship and offered the admiral his hand. With his own
hand remaining at his side, Nelson responded with a smile“ Your sword first,
sir and then your hand’. How it defines our relationship with our Lord! Before
we can be Christ’s friends, we must be His subjects! Period.
Prayer:
Father, that we are your children is our greatest treasure. There is nothing more precious to us
than our relationship with thee. Enable us to bring joy unto your heart in all
that we say, do or think in this Christmas season and beyond. In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
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