“And on going into the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshipped Him. Then opening their treasure bags, they presented to Him gifts – gold and frankincense and myrrh.” Matt 2:11 (Amplified)
Has it ever crossed your mind to ask what became of those wonderful gifts the wise men gave to the child Jesus? Well, having thought about this issue, I could only conclude that Joseph and Mary later converted these gifts of high value into money to support the family as they lived as refugees in the land of Egypt for a while. Gold is still an international currency. In fact nations anchor the value of their currencies to the amount of gold they hold in their central bank vaults. The spices frankincense and myrrh were indispensable to ancient worship rituals and were therefore highly convertible. To the modern man, these gifts are the equivalent of the credit card. They give you financial freedom and the opportunity to move around and live however you like.
The next question is why did God send these wise men a long way to offer these gifts? You can say that it is because He had seen into the future and knew that they would need money to survive as refugees in the land of Egypt where the evil Herod would not be able to get at the baby Jesus to kill Him. It was God’s provision and way of keeping the child out of harm’s way. As many people can attest, things certainly become easier if as a refugee you have some cash on you to take care of your basic needs. The sad reality of our modern time is to see displaced persons who also quickly become destitute once their money runs out. When that happens, such people are vulnerable to committing vice and being dragged into criminality. This is the reason why the bible says that “For the sceptre of wickedness shall not rest upon the land of the [uncompromisingly] righteous, lest the righteous (God’s people) stretch forth their hands to iniquity and apostasy.” Ps 125:3
Can you imagine Joseph in desperation pilfering food in order to ensure the survival of his family due to lack of resources in a foreign land where God had sent them to escape persecution and death? It was so that he would not be reduced to this sinful state that God provided those gifts for their sustenance and this was what enabled them to settle in Egypt and ultimately return to Israel after the danger to their son had passed. Hence, Christmas is not just about God’s provision of a child, but also about His provision for the sustenance of that child and His earthly family.
So, what implication does this have for us as Christians? It means that we can trust God to supply our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. It also means that whatever your need, God can never be blindsided or caught unawares. Before you ever asked in prayer, He has already made provisions for your need. Ever before the need arose, God had miraculously supplied the needs of the holy family. So, why should your case be any different since you are also His child?
As we enter another year, and irrespective of the rumblings of economic slowdown and gathering clouds of financial difficulties that seem to be on the horizon, you can choose to put you trust in the God who can provide the solution before the problem ever arises, for the God of Joseph and Mary is also your God. So, whatever the coming year holds, you can be sure that God is up to the task. You shall surely overcome in Jesus’ name. Have a blessed year.
Prayer:
Lord, in Ps. 81 you promised to cause honey to flow out of rocks for me. As I begin another year, cause your providence to supply blessings in difficult places for me. This coming year, don’t just bless me, but also make me a channel of blessing for others in Jesus’ name. Amen.