Everything For A Smile
May
the Lord smile down on you and show you his kindness. May the Lord answer your
prayers and give you peace.’1
Originally
called “The Carol of the Drum”, “The Little Drummer Boy” tells the story of a
young boy who was invited by the Magi to the Nativity of Jesus. They had
beautiful gifts to present to the new King, but the boy had nothing to give the
baby Jesus, except to play a song for Him on his drum. The boy, desiring to
honor the King, plays his best and, in return, the newborn Savior smiles at
him.
The
tender tune and “pa-rum pa-pum, pum”
that has become so dear to this season gives us a very great lesson in the form
of the Greatest Commandment: And he said to him, “You shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your mind. This is the great and first commandment.2 That little drummer gave the Lord
everything he had to give, and he gave it with his whole heart. Jesus, seeing
the humility behind the gift, smiled.
Jesus saw past the rich and the poor and
looked right into their hearts. He accepted the elegant gifts and the humble
song because they were both offered with a pure heart. You see God isn’t
interested in our presents, what he
desires most is our presence. The
Bible urges us to do everything “for the glory of God”3, whether it
be playing a drum, or serving the poor, or sharing the Christmas message; the
gift we bring to Jesus, that makes Him smile, wholly depends on the condition
of our heart.
Recently, a woman walked into a
charitable organization and handed over a suitcase filled with brand-new items
meant to bless a homeless person. Before leaving, she asked for a tax receipt
because she needed to make sure to claim her “donation” on her tax return. The
clerk stopped and said, “Then it isn’t really a donation, is it?” Similar to the
person who posts their “charitable work” selfies on social media, many people
aren’t really doing it for the glory of God but rather their own glory. I
wonder if God is smiling.
As this Christmas season draws to an end
and we head into a new year, may our giving be purposeful—whether it be our
time, money, or talent—let it be solely to make Jesus smile.
Suggested Prayer: Dear Heavenly Lord, I
don’t have much to give; I don’t have extraordinary talents, but I do desire to
make you smile. Today I bring before you my heart in worship and ask that you
fill it with a selfless love to serve others without asking for any praise or
merit in return. I love you, Lord. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
1.
Numbers 6:25-26.
2.
Matthew 22:37-38 (ESV).
3.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV).
Today’s Encounter was written by:
Veronica B.
All articles on this website are written by
Richard (Dick) Innes unless otherwise stated.