This rich man was not ready to open his treasure chest and provide as a gift to God the one thing that meant more to him. Perhaps the thing we hold most dear is our time. We value it above all else. It is like gold to us. We believe in God but we do not give Him any of our precious time. We put everything else into our schedule but God can't seem to get more than an hour and a half on Sunday. We worry about all the little details of our lives and don't spend any time seeking Him. What does Jesus say about that?
But
seek first the
When we put God first in everything; we are giving unto Him the gold of our lives. We open our treasure chests and pour out for Him anything that would get in the way of drawing close to Him.
The second gift of the Magi was
frankincense. This gum resin was primarily used for two different reasons in
the days of Christ. First, it was renowned for its aromatic properties. Even
still to this day, frankincense is one of the sweetest smelling aromas we know
of. It was actually used in Roman and Greek homes as perfume. We would liken
this today to an offering of praise to God. The second usage pertains mostly to
how it was used within Jewish tradition. During the days of the
Accept my prayer as incense offered to you, and my upraised hands as an evening offering. Psalm 141: 2 (NLT)
Prayer is the primary means of developing our relationship with God. God doesn't want to date you He wants a commitment. Committed people have conversation. They communicate. That is how the relationship is supposed to develop, to strengthen, to mature. How serious does God take prayer?
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Colossians 4: 2 (NLT)
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1Thessalonians 5: 16-18
