“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:2 NLT)

 

Christmas is a time of giving, and I’ve found it to be true that it’s more blessed to give than to receive. If you’re like me, you can’t wait to give your gifts. When you get something for someone, you want to see the joy they have in receiving it.

Matthew 2:11 tells us that the wise men “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” (NLT). Gold, frankincense, and myrrh—what kind of gifts were those for a child? Myrrh, after all, is an embalming element. Why give an embalming element to a baby? I believe that these wise men had insight into who Jesus was. They gave Him gold because they recognized it was a proper gift for a King. They gave him frankincense because that’s what a high priest used when he went into the temple to represent the people before God. They gave Him myrrh because they recognized that this King would die for the world.

That begs the question, what can we give God during this holiday season? What can we give to God, who has everything? What does He want from us? The answer is our lives. He wants our lives.

The apostle Paul wrote, “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. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:1–2 NLT).

Paul also wrote, “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 NLT). These passages make it clear that God is pleased when we turn over to Him that which is most personal to us.

The greatest gift you can give God this year is yourself. The most meaningful thing you can do is enter into a brand-new year of opportunities and say, “Lord, I give You my life. I give You my talents. I give You my abilities. I give You my dreams. I give You my future. I give You my weaknesses. I offer myself to You. Here is my gift to You.”

Be like the wise men who worshipped the Lord and give Him something meaningful. You’ll be glad you did because you can never outgive God.

 

Reflection question: What would it look like for you to give your life to God in the coming year? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

 

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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&ldquo;Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.&rdquo; (Matthew 2:2 NLT)
&nbsp;
Christmas is a time of giving, and I&rsquo;ve found it to be true that it&rsquo;s more blessed to give than to receive. If you&rsquo;re like me, you can&rsquo;t wait to give your gifts. When you get something for someone, you want to see the joy they have in receiving it.
Matthew 2:11 tells us that the wise men &ldquo;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&rdquo; (NLT). Gold, frankincense, and myrrh&mdash;what kind of gifts were those for a child? Myrrh, after all, is an embalming element. Why give an embalming element to a baby? I believe that these wise men had insight into who Jesus was. They gave Him gold because they recognized it was a proper gift for a King. They gave him frankincense because that&rsquo;s what a high priest used when he went into the temple to represent the people before God. They gave Him myrrh because they recognized that this King would die for the world.
That begs the question, what can we give God during this holiday season? What can we give to God, who has everything? What does He want from us? The answer is our lives. He wants our lives.
The apostle Paul wrote, &ldquo;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&mdash;the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.&nbsp;Don&rsquo;t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God&rsquo;s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect&rdquo; (Romans 12:1&ndash;2 NLT).
Paul also wrote, &ldquo;My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me&rdquo; (Galatians 2:20 NLT). These passages make it clear that God is pleased when we turn over to Him that which is most personal to us.
The greatest gift you can give God this year is yourself. The most meaningful thing you can do is enter into a brand-new year of opportunities and say, &ldquo;Lord, I give You my life. I give You my talents. I give You my abilities. I give You my dreams. I give You my future. I give You my weaknesses. I offer myself to You. Here is my gift to You.&rdquo;
Be like the wise men who worshipped the Lord and give Him something meaningful. You&rsquo;ll be glad you did because you can never outgive God.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What would it look like for you to give your life to God in the coming year?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

The greatest gift you can give God is yourself.

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