Tim Palmquist
12/11/05

This song presents some principles which should guide our Christmas giving. The chorus ("From the manger... don't give your gifts...") was written over a decade ago, and I always knew it would be a Christmas song, but it wasn't until this year that the full direction of the song became evident by framing the song with the story of the wise men presenting their gifts to baby Jesus.

Can you imagine traveling thousands of miles to give a gift to a little child? We sometimes travel a hundred or so miles (in a car) to give a gift to a child, but that doesn't begin to compare with the incredible task given to the wise men. Did they appear foolish to their generation, like Noah building a boat in the desert or Abraham embarking on a journey when he didn't know the destination?

We have the opportunity today to follow the wise men's example and become "royal ambassadors" to present gifts to our Lord who is present in the "least of these" little children. Will we have the faith to follow their example, or will we just squander our gifts on those who are expecting them?

I sang this song for the first time on December 11, 2005 at First Baptist Church of Greenacres.